The Indian tennis team trails hosts Norway 2-0 after the first day of the Davis Cup 2022 World Group I tie with Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan losing their respective singles matches.
With the two losses at the Hakons Hall in Lillehammer on Friday, India now need to win all three of their matches (two singles and one doubles) on day two to turn the tables in the five-match World Group I tie.
In the first rubber, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, ranked 335, struggled against world No. 2 Casper Ruud and went down 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and two minutes.
Casper Ruud, the US Open finalist, won the first five games in the first set. Needing something special to avoid a bagel (6-0), Prajnesh Gunneswaran pulled off two aces in the sixth game to get on the scoreboard but couldn’t avoid going 1-0 down.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran gave a better account of himself in the second set. Though broken twice, the Indian stayed in the hunt till the ninth game, trailing 5-4. Casper Ruud converted his first match point in the next game to give Norway a 1-0 lead.
Ramkumar Ramanathan, India’s highest-ranked men’s singles player at 275, was the favourite against world No. 325 Viktor Durasovic in the second rubber.
However, the Indian tennis player went down to Viktor Durasovic by an identical 6-1, 6-4 margin in one hour and 16 minutes.
Ramkumar Ramanathan held his serve in the second game but was broken twice soon after. Viktor Durasovic’s five aces in the first set made it more difficult for India’s top-ranked player to mount a comeback.
Viktor Durasovic continued to dominate Ramkumar Ramanathan with a solid service game and hit seven aces in the second set. Ramkumar Ramanathan put up an improved performance but lost the match eventually.
On Saturday, India’s doubles team of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni will team up for the doubles.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan will face Viktor Durasovic and Casper Ruud respectively, in the reverse singles matches.
India need to win the tie and progress to next year’s Davis Cup qualifying round. A loss will see India drop into the World Group I play-off stage.
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