Bengaluru: Dhakshineswar Suresh once again underlined his growing stature in Indian tennis, bringing the hosts back on level terms against the Netherlands on Day 1 of the Davis Cup Qualifiers first round on Saturday.
After India’s top singles player Sumit Nagal lost a hard-fought opening rubber, Suresh delivered under pressure to defeat Dutch No. 1 Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5, ensuring the tie remained finely balanced at 1-1 at the end of the day.
The tall Indian used his powerful serve and court coverage to telling effect in the breezy Bengaluru conditions, sealing the match in under 90 minutes. Suresh faced just one break point throughout the contest, saved it comfortably, and struck nine aces in an assured performance that drew praise from captain Rohit Rajpal, who labelled him India’s “trump card” in the Davis Cup.
“I think my big serves and big forehand troubled De Jong the most,” Suresh told DavisCup.com after the match.
“In Bengaluru, the high altitude means the ball travels faster, so it’s tough to control when you’re hitting hard. I was happy I could keep putting him in uncomfortable situations.”
With the home crowd firmly behind him, Suresh tightened his grip late in the second set as De Jong wilted under pressure, committing two double faults in the closing game and winning just two of the final 10 points.
Earlier, Dutch debutant Guy den Ouden handed India an early setback with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Nagal, who was returning to competitive action after a three-week rehabilitation break. Den Ouden raced through the opening set before Nagal regrouped strongly to level the contest.
However, the Dutchman regained control by converting a break point early in the decider. Although Nagal fought back with a marathon effort to break serve in the seventh game, he was broken again immediately, allowing Den Ouden to serve out the match after two hours and 31 minutes.
“I had a clear plan of how I wanted to play,” Den Ouden said. “It became very physical in the third set with long rallies. Every game was a hustle, and I had to stay there mentally.”
With the tie locked at 1-1 and the overall head-to-head between India and the Netherlands now level at 2-2, the contest heads into Sunday delicately poised. The action resumes with the doubles rubber, where Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji will face David Pel and Sander Arends, followed by the reverse singles.
Source: Davis Cup
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