India trail Korea 0-2 in the Davis Cup Qualifiers after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal suffered comeback defeats against Soonwoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung, leaving India needing three straight wins on the second day.
India endured a difficult opening day in their Davis Cup Qualifiers second-round tie against Korea, falling 0-2 after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal both surrendered leads in hard-fought three-set matches at the Olympic Tennis Court on Friday.
The results put Korea within one victory of securing a place in the Davis Cup quarter-finals, while India now face a must-win situation on the second day. Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung produced impressive comebacks against India’s leading singles players to give the hosts a commanding advantage.
Suresh took the court first against Kwon and made a promising start. The Indian broke Kwon in the opening service game and appeared comfortable on the slow surface. Despite strong support from the home crowd, Kwon struggled to settle early in the match.
Suresh eventually claimed the opening set 6-4, but the momentum changed in the second. Kwon began attacking Suresh’s serves earlier and improved his returns. The pressure resulted in four double faults from the Indian before Kwon converted a break point in the sixth game. The Korean then held serve to take the second set 6-3.
Suresh again started strongly in the deciding set, but Kwon maintained his intensity. The Korean secured a crucial break in the sixth game and repeatedly found success with his backhand. Kwon earned his first match point in the ninth game, which Suresh saved, but the Korean completed the comeback in the following game to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Kwon admitted that he felt unusually nervous at the beginning of the match but said he became more comfortable from the second set onward. He also credited his improved ability to read Suresh’s serving patterns for the turnaround. Kwon finished the contest with seven aces and won 92 per cent of his first-serve points.
India’s top-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, then attempted to bring the visitors back into the tie against Hyeon Chung. Nagal made an excellent start, racing to a 4-0 lead and eventually taking the first set 6-2.
Nagal broke Chung twice in the opening set and moved ahead 5-2 before closing it out. Although Chung saved four set points, the Indian remained in control and looked set to level the tie.
The second set, however, became increasingly competitive. Both players engaged in long rallies and battled through demanding service games. Nagal broke to lead 4-3, but he could not consolidate the advantage. A double fault in the following game gave Chung an opportunity to break back, which the Korean converted.
Chung then secured another break to take the second set 6-4 and force a deciding set.
The final set was another physical and closely contested battle. Chung increased the pressure early, but Nagal responded with a break three games later. With the match level at 5-5, the pressure intensified. Nagal committed a costly double fault, handing Chung a match point, and the Korean converted the opportunity to complete a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory after three hours and five minutes.
Chung said he remained confident after being broken in the second set and believed that an opportunity would eventually come his way. He described the closing stages as a test of mental strength after both players had spent more than three hours on court.
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With Korea leading 2-0, India must now win all three matches scheduled for Saturday to overturn the tie. The second day will begin with the doubles rubber, followed by the two reverse singles matches.
Korea, meanwhile, require only one more victory to seal the tie and secure a place in their first-ever Davis Cup quarter-finals.
