Bhambri and Dhakshineswar give India 2-1 Davis Cup lead

Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh won a thrilling doubles rubber against David Pel and Sander Arends to give India a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup Qualifiers tie against the Netherlands in Bengaluru, setting up crucial reverse singles matches

Bengaluru: Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh prevailed in a marathon doubles rubber, outlasting David Pel and Sander Arends 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1) as India edged ahead 2-1 in their Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 1 tie against the Netherlands here on Sunday.

In a contest that swung repeatedly for exactly three hours, India captain Rohit Rajpal’s call to bring in Dhakshineswar in place of N Sriram Balaji for the high-stakes doubles proved decisive, as the home pair held their nerve when it mattered most.

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With both teams desperate to seize control of the tie after it stood level at 1-1 overnight, the opening set turned into a stern test of patience and resolve.

Bhambri’s serve was under sustained pressure, particularly in the seventh game when his first serve deserted him. A double fault at 30-all handed the Dutch a break point, but Bhambri responded with deep returns to snuff out the threat.

Dhakshineswar then missed a regulation backhand volley on game point, and Arends’ awkward overhead smash aimed at his legs earned the visitors another break chance.

Once again, the Indian pair survived, Dhakshineswar showing deft touch at the net before Arends erred with a long return to end a prolonged game.

India earned its first break opportunity in the following game when Dhakshineswar threaded a forehand winner between Pel and Arends at 30-all, but the Dutch pair escaped.

Bhambri was again under siege in the 11th game, as the Indians faced five break points before holding on, drawing loud cheers from the home crowd.

With neither side able to force a breakthrough, the set went into a tie-break, where the Indians suddenly found another gear. Bhambri and Dhakshineswar raced to a 4-0 lead and closed it out without dropping a point, highlighted by Dhakshineswar’s angled passing winner and Bhambri’s clean service return at 5-0.

The momentum shifted in the second set. Left-handed Pel struggled initially with his first serve, serving two double faults in the third game, but the Indians failed to capitalise.

Bhambri’s first-serve troubles resurfaced, and another double fault handed the Netherlands a crucial break opportunity. Arends converted with a crisp backhand volley return, opening up a 4-2 lead. Pel consolidated the break as the visitors tightened their grip, levelling the match at one set apiece.

The deciding set was a battle of attrition. India had multiple chances to break early, most notably when Pel fell to 0-40 after serving two double faults and Bhambri lasered a return winner, but the home pair squandered all three opportunities.

Dhakshineswar then showed composure under pressure to save a break point in the next game.

India continued to push, creating chances on Pel’s serve again in the eighth game, with Dhakshineswar producing two return winners, only for the Dutch to escape yet again. Arends too came under pressure at 0-30 in his following service game.

The turning point came when Arends took a medical timeout for treatment on his left hand, with his little and ring fingers taped. From there, the Dutch player struggled to serve with the same effectiveness, allowing the Indians to finally seize control and close out the match.

The win gave India a crucial edge ahead of reverse singles, where Sumit Nagal is scheduled to face Jesper de Jong, followed by Dhakshineswar’s clash against Guy den Ouden.