JOIN USInjury-hit India fall to dominant Japan
Coming into the must-win first reverse singles, in place of an injured Somdev Devvarman, 456th ranked Vardhan lost 5-7, 3-6, 3-6 against world number 55 Kei Nishikori, handing the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Later, Rohan Bopanna conceded the dead fifth rubber against Go Soeda after leading 5-4, due to a foot injury. Japan were thus promoted to the elite 16-nation World Group after a gap of 26 years.
India arrived here without top doubles player Leander Paes, who was ruled out due to back spasm he suffered during the US Open, then lost Somdev because of a shoulder strain and finally Bopanna encountered a toe problem and could not complete his match.
India came to the play-off stage after losing the World Group first round to reigning champions Serbia and will now yet again strive in the Asia-Oceania Group I in the 2012 season.
Thanks to the doubles win of Mahesh Bhupathi and Bopanna, India were afloat in the tie after Somdev and Bopanna had lost both the singles on Friday. It was an enormous responsibility to fill in the shoes of Somdev but Vishnu did show the stomach for fight although he could not maintain the intensity with which he presented his challenge early on.
The 24-year-old Vishnu made all the right moves right from the word go. Nervous he might have been but it did not show in his game initially. Vishnu did not look like a debutant as he made a player of Nishikori’s ability to work hard for his points and engaged him in the battle for two hours and 10 minutes.
The first break of serve came as late as in the 11th game of the first set as Vishnu went neck and neck with Nishikori in the first 10 games. Facing a breakpoint, Vishnu approached the net but Nishikori cashed in on the chance by smashing a forehand past the Indian and then held his own in the next to take the set.
As Nishikori stepped up the pressure, the Indian was again staring a break in the first game of the second set but saved the game. Nishikori kept opening the lead and succeeded in breaking Vardhan in the third game, which eventually put him ahead 5-3 by the eighth game. The Indian saved first of the three set points before double faulting on the second to hand a 2-0 lead to Nishikori.
Vishnu was still fighting and saved two match points in the eighth game of the third set but that was not good enough and Nishikori had no problem in ensuring Japan’s passage to World Group.
Praise for Vishnu
Vardhan earned praise from his team-mates and the rival camp for his courageous show.
“His ranking is much lower than Kei’s, but he put up a good fight. He showed some nice skills and a strong serve early in the match,” Japanese captain Eiji Takeuchi said.
The 24-year-old Vardhan reckons he played his best on Sunday.
“I thought I played some of the best tennis of my life today. It was awesome to be a part of this Davis Cup team. I thought I really pushed Nishikori to play better out there,” Vardhan, ranked 456th, said.
India’s multiple Grand Slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi also had words of praise for Vishnu. “India threw Vishnu into the deep end today and he played a great match. Made us all on the bench real proud!!,” Bhupathi wrote on his twitter page.