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Bopanna and Prakash give India a dream start

Kamesh Srinivasan

Japan puts up a good fight, both matches going to five sets

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

FIRST BLOOD: Rohan Bopanna gave India a flying start as he beat Kei Nishikori of Japan in five sets.

New Delhi: Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj toughened themselves at the crunch to give India a 2-0 lead against formidable Japan on the opening day of the Asia-Oceania group ‘I’ Davis Cup tie at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here on Friday.

Playing some of the best tennis that he has ever played on grass at home, Prakash served with a big heart when he was down two matchpoints to script an unforgettable 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Go Soeda in a gripping contest that spanned four hours and three minutes.

Setting the tempo

Bopanna had set the tempo for the day as he served thunderbolts in the fifth set to record a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 victory over 118th-ranked Kei Nishikori.

For the record, Bopanna fired eight of his 23 aces in the match in the fifth set to overwhelm the 18-year-old Nishikori whom he broke decisively in the eighth game of the decider.

The Japanese had everything except the experience on grass as they delighted the sparse gathering with a world class fare for nearly seven hours. Soeda, in particular, was brilliant as he smashed dozens of return winners and passing shots in that exacting fifth set, but when he had those two matchpoints his forehand failed him.

Proud Paes

Skipper Leander Paes was understandably proud of his boys, even as he praised the opposition for the good work, but warned that the team could not afford to be complacent before the tie was actually sewn up.

“The boys played fantastic tennis and fought really hard. They have done an excellent job to win two five-set matches,” said Paes.

“At two sets down I thought that it would be a dream to pull it off from there. It was a great opportunity for me to step up the game. I am glad that I kept playing better as the match progressed. It is the most heart that I have ever shown in a match,” said the 261st-ranked Prakash, who threw himself at everything for spectacular volleys and played solid in the climax to shut out his 156th-ranked opponent.

“Winning a five-setter for the first time means a lot to me. Had I been thinking about the way I had lost the earlier five-setters, particularly the one against Uzbekistan I wouldn’t have been able to play that well in the end. I’m proud of the way I served in that fifth set, for Nishikori is a fantastic player,” said Bopanna.

Serving for the match, Bopanna was two breakpoints down, but held his game together to come up with the goods against a classy opponent who had struck 44 winners around him.

“I thought that Rohan kept playing aggressive till the end of the fifth set. He served excellent and it was a matter of time before he got the break. He really took the fight to the opponent,” said Paes.

Leander observed that it was his responsibility and that of Mahesh to clinch it in the doubles on Saturday, and not take anything for granted.

“We may have won many Grand Slams, but the Japanese have a formidable doubles team. We still have some work to do, but it is great to be 2-0 up,” said Leander, revealing his respect for Takao Suzuki and Satoshi Iwabuchi.

Japanese praise

The Japanese praised the Indians for the good fare and opined that they themselves did not have the confidence to come through despite fighting so well on grass. “I was a little nervous and tight,” conceded Soeda about missing those two matchpoints.

“It was a good match. I lost because I haven’t played so much on grass and it was my first Davis Cup. Rohan had great experience,” said Nishikori.

“It is a pretty tough task to come back from 0-2,” said the Japanese captain Eiji Takeuchi.

Quite unbelievably, the foundation has been laid well for the host. Leander and Mahesh would be the favourites to build on it on Saturday to clinch a berth for India in the World Group play-off.

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