Hosts India came from behind to snatch a dramatic 3-2 win over Brazil yesterday and retain their place in the Davis Cup World Group.
India, who trailed 0-2 after the opening day, fought back to win the doubles on Saturday and took both the reverse singles yesterday in front of about 2,000 boisterous home fans in Chennai.
India’s top player Somdev Devvarman led world No. 27 Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (7/3), 4-0 in the first reverse singles before the Brazilian retired ill after 1 hour, 26 minutes.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Rohan Bopanna beat Ricardo Mello 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in the decider to hand India a memorable win at the sun-baked Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium.
Bopanna, ranked 479th against his 75th-placed opponent, ran away with the first set in 33 minutes after securing a break in the fourth game.
A fired-up Bopanna conceded just two points in the second set tiebreaker and then broke Mello in the fourth game of the third set to win in two hours.
PHOTO: AFP
India, who lost to Russia 2-3 in the World Group first round in Moscow in March, had never before won a Davis Cup tie after losing both the opening singles, but the decision to play in the stifling heat and humidity of Chennai paid off for the hosts.
Devvarman said the hot weather suited him.
“Look, it was a good call to play in the heat of Chennai, even though it was cloudy on the first two days,” Devvarman said. “Today began well because the sun was out and that helped. I know Thomaz was tired after the five-setter on Friday, but you can never see such a thing coming. It was just bad luck for him and good fortune for me.”
Australia’s campaign for promotion to the World Group was dealt a critical blow yesterday, with top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt forced out with a hand injury, before rain halted the tie.
Hewitt, world No. 36 and Australia’s most successful Davis Cup player, was scheduled to meet Belgium’s Olivier Rochus in Cairns, but had to stand down, officials said.
Australia lead Belgium 2-1 after Hewitt and Paul Hanley won Saturday’s doubles.
World No. 126 Peter Luczak was 4-4 in the first set with Rochus, ranked 79th, but only 51 minutes play was possible yesterday because of heavy showers.
Play will resume at 10am this morning.
On Saturday, nine-time champions France eased into the Davis Cup final, but Serbia’s decision to throw unfit world No. 2 Novak Djokovic into doubles action backfired against the Czech Republic.
France opened up an unassailable 3-0 lead in their semi-final against Argentina in Lyon when Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement beat US Open semi-finalists Horacio Zeballos and Eduardo Schwank 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
In December’s final, they will tackle either last year’s runners-up the Czech Republic or Serbia, who have never reached a Davis Cup final.
The Czechs were 2-1 ahead in Belgrade after Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek saw off Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.
Djokovic, who was US Open runner-up to Rafael Nadal, pulled out of his scheduled singles rubber on Friday, a reported victim of gastroenteritis.
In his absence, Viktor Troicki was beaten by Stepanek, before Janko Tipsarevic leveled the tie with victory over Berdych.
“It was great to come back after losing the first set. It was down to our team spirit, which was greater than theirs today,” Stepanek said.
France had already been 2-0 ahead overnight thanks to singles wins by Llodra over Juan Monaco and Gael Monfils, who beat David Nalbandian.
On Saturday, Llodra and Clement wrapped up victory after 2 hours, 28 minutes on court.
“It’s extraordinary to have a team like ours,” said France captain Guy Forget, whose team last made the final in 2002.
In the playoffs, which will decide who features in the World Group next year, the US went 2-1 ahead of Colombia in Bogota after Mardy Fish and John Isner defeated Robert Farah and Carlos Salamanca 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
The US, 32-time champions, are attempting to avoid a first relegation in 22 years.
Captain Patrick McEnroe took a gamble by not naming doubles specialists the Bryan brothers in the US team, but he believes he has been vindicated.
“The altitude had a lot to do with it,” McEnroe said. “I felt that we might need a couple of extra singles players.”
Kazakhstan reached the World Group for the first time by taking a 3-0 lead over Switzerland in Astana after Andrey Golubev and Yuriy Schukin defeated Yves Allegro and Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Sweden took a 2-1 lead over Italy in Lidkoping when Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt fought back from two sets down to defeat Simone Bolelli and Potito Starace 5-7, 6-7 (0/7), 7-6, (7/4), 6-3, 7-5.
Germany also made sure of their place in the World Group with a 3-0 win over South Africa, while Romania saw off Ecuador 3-0.
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