India staring at defeat in Davis Cup

In the absence of in-form Yuki Bhambri, who skipped the tie due to a minor abdomen injury, Ramkumar Ramanathan was expected to deliver but he ended up losing the first singles 6-7(4) 4-6 to China’s new tennis sensation Yibing Wu. 

The 18-year-old Chinese, who was junior world number one till very recently and won both singles and doubles junior US Open titles in 2017, dropped serve in the very first game of the match but immediately broke back and eventually took the set via tie-breaker. 

The onus to bring India back in the tie was on young Sumit Nagal, ranked 213, but the Haryana youngster lost 4-6 1-6 to Ze Zhang, ranked 247 in just 67 minutes. India’s non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi described the opening day as “shocking”. 

India has managed to win a Davis Cup tie from being down 0-2 only once. It was in 2010 when India beat Brazil in Chennai with Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi winning the doubles and then Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna producing thrilling victories on the last day. 

Paes and Bopanna will now play a do-or-die third rubber against Mao-Xin Gong and Di Wu on Saturday. If India wins the doubles match, Paes will become the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup. He is tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli.