Davis Cup: Smart selection, big reward as India raise the bar

BENGALURU: India have developed a knack for outplaying higher-ranked opponents in the Davis Cup in recent years. After defeating then world No. 24 Switzerland in Biel last September, they raised the bar further in the Qualifiers Round 1 tie at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium here on Sunday. The hosts, ranked 33rd, pulled off a thrilling 3–2 victory over sixth-ranked Netherlands to advance to the second round of qualifiers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Dhakshineswar Suresh, ranked 465 in singles, stole the spotlight with a display of grit, stamina and skill. The 25-year-old delivered in both singles and doubles, further cementing his growing reputation in Indian tennis. Credit must also go to non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal, whose bold call to field Suresh twice on the decisive day proved a masterstroke. The final decision to pair Yuki Bhambri with him in doubles was taken only on Saturday night.“The partnership was in the works for a while; it wasn’t a random decision. There was always a plan to see if we could get Suresh to play doubles as well,” said Bhambri, who recently broke into the top 20 in doubles. “He has played both singles and doubles in US collegiate tennis, so this wasn’t new to him. We took the chance. I also practiced with him in the couple of days leading up to the tie.”Under the hot sun, Suresh first spent three hours on court alongside Bhambri to give India a 2–1 lead in the tie. Three hours later, he returned re-energised and helped India seal the contest with an emphatic singles win over Guy den Ouden.“I let him play his game. We did a good job in building up and understanding our game as the match progressed,” added Bhambri.Interestingly, it was the first time Suresh and Bhambri partnered in doubles. India were initially expected to field Bhambri alongside doubles specialist N Sriram Balaji, but the late decision to pair him with Suresh paid rich dividends, with the 6 ft 5’ tall Indian contributing heavily through powerful serves and sharp net play.