New Delhi, March 5: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan saved three match points in an edge-of-the-seat thriller to prevail against a fighting Danish pair of Frederik Nielsen and Mikael Torpegaard as India kept its place in the Davis Cup World Group I by winning the Play-off tie 4-0, here on Saturday.
Sharan and Bopanna came from behind to win 6-7 (4) 6-4 7-6 (4) in one hour and 58 minutes.
Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan had given India a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the tie on Friday.
The tense win ensured India stay in World Group I for the 2022 season, while Denmark will now again go back to World Group II.
Serving to stay in the match in the 12th game of the decider, Sharan faced three match points but the Indian team held nerves to save all, two of them on second serves, to force a final tie-breaker, in which they raced to a 4-1 lead and sealed the win when Torpegaard could not make a return on Bopanna’s serve.
It was such a close match that only one break of serve featured when 2012 Wimbledon Champion Nielsen got broken at the beginning of the second set.
Later in the first reverse singles, Ramkumar beat Joahhnes Ingildsen 5-7 7-5 10-7. The fifth match was not played.
“We missed two volleys and that put us under pressure but with lefty serve when there is not enough space is tricky to return. Credit to Divij, he pulled off those second serves and than I had that reflex volley (executed),” Bopanna said of the crucial hold in the 12th game of the third set.
“Even Nielsen later said that the second serve on third match point was quicker than he expected, so he went for a big forehand and missed.
“I was just telling Divij that they will also feel the pressure.”
Skipper Rohit Rajpal said they could have played Prajnesh Gunneswaran in the dead fourth rubber but Ramkumar was eager to take court, something which coach Zeeshan Ali said was a “good sign” that all the players want to win matches for India.
This is India’s first win since they beat Pakistan 4-0 in November 2019 when Rohit Rajpal took over as non-playing captain.
After that India lost to Finland (1-3) and Croatia (1-3) in away ties. (PTI)
