The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : India squares series

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Monday, Nov 13, 2006
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India squares series

Kamesh Srinivasan

BOY WONDER: Vivek Shokeen showed considerable maturity in ousting Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in the Test series.

NEW DELHI: Vivek Shokeen provided the fireworks as India wound up on a winning note, beating Pakistan 2-1 in the fourth and final Test at the DLTA Complex here on Sunday. With this win, the host levelled the series 2-2.

India had won the first Test at Islamabad on clay, but had lost the next two at Lahore on grass and Chandigarh on the hard courts.

It was a memorable triumph for the 19-year-old Shokeen as he played a solid game in outwitting a tired Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-3, 6-2 in the first rubber.

Bopanna indisposed

Getting the nod in place of an indisposed Rohan Bopanna, Shokeen played the best match of his career so far as he handled a quality player with considerable maturity. He saved two breakpoints in the third game to stay on course, and capitalised on two doublefaults by Qureshi in the eighth game of the first set to wrest the initiative.

Shokeen fired one of his brilliant backhand passing shots on breakpoint to clinch the crucial break. He served out the set at love to assert his authority against the seasoned Pakistani, who had won both his singles matches against Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna in the last Davis Cup encounter in April this season.

Into the second set, Shokeen did well to save a couple of breakpoints and broke Qureshi in the third and seventh games, both times at love, to cruise home in 61 minutes.

While Shokeen was fresh, Qureshi was understandably tired, playing in the fourth city within a space of seven days.

Quality rallies

Thereafter, Karan Rastogi continued his domination over Aqeel Khan and raced to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph in double quick time in a contest that was studded with quality rallies. It was his third win over Khan for Karan in the current series.

In the doubles, Purav Raja and Divij Sharan lost to Qureshi and Khan 3-6, 3-6.

The results: India beat Pakistan 2-1 (Vivek Shokeen bt Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-3, 6-2; Karan Rastogi bt Aqeel Khan 6-2, 6-2; Divij Sharan & Purav Raja lost to Qureshi & Khan 3-6, 3-6).

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