Bhambri saves the day for India after Devvarman shocked
CHRISTCHURCH: Yuki Bhambri rescued India with an impressive win after Somdev Devvarman’s shock defeat, leaving the visitors locked 1-1 with New Zealand on day one of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group I tie, here on Friday.
Michael Venus, ranked as low as 548 in the singles, turned the tables on Somdev, who lost the opening singles 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 1-6 after three hours and 43 minutes.
The fortunes changed dramatically for India as Somdev, who came into the tie after winning a Challenger title in USA, was firmly in control before losing his way.
Egged on by the home crowd, Venus recovered amazingly after losing the first two sets and outsmarted 148th ranked Somdev to surprise the visiting camp.
The onus to bring India back was now on Yuki, who did not disappoint the Indian camp as he raced to a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 win Jose Statham in the second singles.
In the opening set, Yuki broke Statham, ranked 345th, in the fifth game for a 3-2 lead and consolidated his position with an easy hold in the next.
The Indian youngster, ranked 151st, was on top of his game as he broke Statham for the second time in the seventh game and served out the set in the second.
An early break put Yuki in the driver’s seat. Statham held serve in third game but dropped again in the fifth to hand the 23-yearold Delhi boy a 4-1 cushion.
Yuki had tightened his grip over the match and it was a matter of time before he served out the second too.
Statham raised his game a bit, putting up some fight against Yuki as the first five games went on serve. However, Yuki yet again found a way to get a break and created a lead of 4-2, following a break in the sixth game. KAZAKHS TAKE LEAD DARWIN: Mikhail Kukushkin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov gave Kazakhstan a commanding 2-0 lead over hosts Australia after the opening singles of their Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal in Darwin on Friday.
Kukushkin gave the Kazakhs the early momentum with a straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis in just over two hours.
World No. 115 Nedovyesov then stunned the 41-ranked Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to put Kazakhstan on the brink of reaching the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time. TOMIC APOLOGISES Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic on Friday apologised after he was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest by the Miami Beach police.
Tomic allegedly refused to leave his hotel room after an altercation with police and staff on Wednesday.
“I’m sorry for the disturbance I caused,” the 22-yearold was quoted as saying by bbc.co.uk.