Dhakshineswar Suresh announces himself as India’s latest davis cup On Sunday, he beat the Netherlands 3-2 in the decisive fifth set and led the hosts into the second round of qualifying. The 25-year-old is making his second Davis Cup appearance and his performance will be remembered for years to come. Dhakshineswar won the singles match and partnered with Yuki Bhambri to win the doubles match, completing a rare three-match singles win for India. The feat will inevitably draw comparisons with Leander Paes’ legendary heroics against Japan in 2004, when Paes single-handedly won both singles and doubles to lead India to promotion. More than 20 years later, Dhakshineswar produced a similar defining moment. Ranked as low as 465th, he withstood huge pressure in the last game and defeated Guy de Oden 6-4, 7-6(4). When his final forehand winner landed, Dakshineswar fell on his back before being engulfed by his teammates and hoisted onto their shoulders, a celebration that marked another memorable European scalp for India. India started the match at a disadvantage but found their chance when the Netherlands arrived without its two top singles players – world No. 29 Talon Grikspoor and world No. 67 Botik van der Zandshulp. The absence gave India, who are ranked 33rd on the Davis Cup standings, a real chance and they seized it to defeat the world’s sixth-ranked team. The victory was also historic. This is the first time India has reached the second round of qualifying since the revamped Davis Cup format was introduced in 2019, taking them one step closer to the Elite Eight finals. South Korea is expected to be their next opponent. At the start of Sunday’s game, the two sides were tied at 1-1. Dakshwar and Bhambri then defeated David Pell and Sander Arends 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1) in a gripping doubles match, giving India a 2-1 lead. The match lasted nearly three hours, with the two sides going back and forth until the home team kept their cool in both tiebreaks. Sumit Nagar Had a chance to end the tie on the first reverse single, but failed to capitalize. After winning the first set, he lost to world No. 88 Jesper de Jong 7-5, 1-6, 4-6 in a match that lasted nearly three hours. This was Nagal’s second defeat in his first singles match. That puts the onus squarely on Dakshineswar, whom captain Rohit Rajpal calls his “ace”. Despite being on the court for nearly three hours earlier in the day’s doubles match, Dakshineswar showed no signs of fatigue in the deciding set. His serve once again proved decisive. Dhakshineswar hit 15 aces and was always in control of the match after serving. In the seventh game, Deoden made consecutive backhand errors, and he got a key break in the first set. Although Dakshineswar missed a set point in the ninth game, he immediately rallied and sealed the victory with an ace on his second chance. The second set was even closer. De Oden fought hard and saved a break point in the fifth game with a forehand winner. Dakshineswar broke again at 4-4, but then came under pressure on serve and held on to hold on to the tiebreaker. There, his composure and strength came to the fore, finishing the game off to earn the hosts an unforgettable victory. Earlier in the day, the doubles match set the tone for India’s success. Rajpal’s bold decision to field Dhakshineswar in place of N Sriram Balaji proved to be a high-stakes match. The first set was a test of patience. Bembry’s serve came under constant pressure, especially in the long seventh game, which saw multiple break points. Despite double faults and a few missed chances, the Indian pair survived on the back of Dakshineswar’s sharp performance at the net. Neither side was able to force a breakthrough and the set entered a tiebreaker. There, India suddenly took the lead, going 4-0 up and finishing the game without conceding a point, highlighted by Dhakshineswar’s sharp passing winner and Bhambri’s clean return winner. The momentum shifted for the Dutch in the second set. Bambry’s first serve was in trouble again, and the visiting team got a crucial break opportunity to even the score. The deciding set turned into a battle of endurance. India created several chances early, including 0-40 on Pell’s serve, but failed to convert. Dakshineswar then saved a break point in the next game to keep the score alive for India. More chances came and went, until the turning point came when Arends took a medical timeout on his left hand to receive treatment. From that moment on, his serve dropped and the Indian eventually took control of the match, ending the match in a tie-break with India just one win away from victory. Dakshineswar ensured there were no delays thereafter, completing one of India’s most memorable Davis Cup victories in recent years under pressure.
