Davis Cup: Czechs bulldoze Indian challenge
The visitors enjoyed a 2-1 lead after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday
By : deepika das
Update: 2015-09-21 01:41 GMT
New Delhi: Mission accomplished. The target of top seeds Czech Republic — to enter the Davis Cup World Group —was fulfilled on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over India that helped the three-time champions keep intact their record of not being eliminated from the competition’s elite 16-nation World Group since 2006.
Czech Republic’s top player Jiri Vesely, who had lost the second singles rubber on Friday, looked more confident and prepared on Day Three and crushed Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in the reverse singles of the play-offs at the RK Khanna Stadium here on Sunday.
The visitors enjoyed a 2-1 lead after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday. India have been relegated to the Asia-Oceania Group 1 for next year’s competition.
“It was very, very hard to play in these conditions. The Indian team chose just the right place to play the games. We just fought through... I was very determined to make my country happy today,” Vesely said after the tie.
India were trying to re-enter the World Group for the first time since March 2011 when they had lost 1-4 to Serbia in the first round. But it looks a distant dream for them now.