<p>Coming into the tie after his amazing run at the US Open, Bopanna almost had the match in his pocket but nerves got the better of him as he lost 7-6 (2) 6-7 (7) 5-7 6-4 10-8 after slogging for four-and-a-half hours.<br /><br />With Bopanna's defeat, India have conceded a 1-0 lead and now Somdev Devvarman will have to win the second singles against Ricardo Melo to save the day for the hosts.<br /><br />Bellucci, who struggled with his first serve throughout, braved cramps and turned it around amazingly for Brazil, justifying his top-30 rank and also saving himself from an embarrassing defeat against a player, who is ranked 479.<br /><br />With a comfortable 5-2 lead in the final set, Bopanna had three match points in game eight but squandered all as the big moment overwhelmed him.<br /><br />Bopanna was egged on by his teammates and little crowd in attendance but never recovered from the setback and dropped his serve in the next game.<br /><br />His confidence, with which he dominated his superior ranked early on, gradually waned away and another break of serve in the 17th game ended all his hopes.<br /><br />Before that Bopanna was comfortably placed to win the second set tie-break as he was up 5-2 but allowed Bellucci to make a comeback and lost the set.<br /><br />At the start, Bopanna used his lethal serve and big strokes quite effectively and was also aided by some erratic shot-making by lean-built Bellucci.<br /><br />Left-handed Bellucci was erratic with his serve and paid a big price, as it had a bearing on the outcome of the first set.<br /><br />Bopanna, mostly playing from the baseline and approaching the net occasionally, did not concede much points on his serve which was too hot to handle for the Brazilian.<br /><br />Bopanna created two break opportunities in the first set -- second and sixth games -- but could not convert any as he tried too hard, looking over-anxious on those big points.<br /><br />Bellucci got into the groove gradually but there was hardly a long rally as both the players fetched points with their serve game.<br /><br />With no player able to garner a break, the first set was stretched to a tie break in which the Indian shot to a comfortable 5-1 lead when Bellucci committed two double faults. Those were unpardonable errors and Bopanna latched on the opportunity to take lead.</p>.<p>The second set could not have started in a better way for Bopanna as he cashed in on the second breakpoint to get the first break of the match.<br /><br />However, a string of unforced errors by Bopanna gave Bellucci a chance to break back and the Brazilian accepted the offer gleefully.<br /><br />Bopanna, down 4-5, saved a set-point in the 10th game but failed to convert any of the three chances in the next game, forcing another tie-break to break the deadlock.<br /><br />It was a seesaw tie-break as Bopanna was all over Bellucci with a comfortable 5-2 lead but the Brazilian turned it around amazingly by saving three set points and went on to win it, bringing the match to level terms.<br /><br />Having made a comeback, Bellucci grew in confidence and got a mini-break by breaking Bopanna in the first game of the third set and held his serve in the next.<br /><br />Two silly mistakes almost cost Belluci the set when he failed to put ball in an open court on his first set-point and then fumbled on an attempted drop shot.<br /><br />Another unforced error handed Bopanna the crucial break, making the scoreline 5-5 but the Indian dropped the next game to trail again.<br /><br />Having escaped the turnaround, Bellucci wrapped up the set on his serve to take a 2-1 lead.<br /><br />Another feeble attempt by Bellucci to play a drop shot handed Bopanna all important breakpoint in the 10th game in the fourth set and the Indian hit a stunning backhand winner to make it two-set all.<br /><br />Bopanna rode on a double break to create a 4-1 lead in the decisive set but still ended on the wrong side of the result. </p>
<p>Coming into the tie after his amazing run at the US Open, Bopanna almost had the match in his pocket but nerves got the better of him as he lost 7-6 (2) 6-7 (7) 5-7 6-4 10-8 after slogging for four-and-a-half hours.<br /><br />With Bopanna's defeat, India have conceded a 1-0 lead and now Somdev Devvarman will have to win the second singles against Ricardo Melo to save the day for the hosts.<br /><br />Bellucci, who struggled with his first serve throughout, braved cramps and turned it around amazingly for Brazil, justifying his top-30 rank and also saving himself from an embarrassing defeat against a player, who is ranked 479.<br /><br />With a comfortable 5-2 lead in the final set, Bopanna had three match points in game eight but squandered all as the big moment overwhelmed him.<br /><br />Bopanna was egged on by his teammates and little crowd in attendance but never recovered from the setback and dropped his serve in the next game.<br /><br />His confidence, with which he dominated his superior ranked early on, gradually waned away and another break of serve in the 17th game ended all his hopes.<br /><br />Before that Bopanna was comfortably placed to win the second set tie-break as he was up 5-2 but allowed Bellucci to make a comeback and lost the set.<br /><br />At the start, Bopanna used his lethal serve and big strokes quite effectively and was also aided by some erratic shot-making by lean-built Bellucci.<br /><br />Left-handed Bellucci was erratic with his serve and paid a big price, as it had a bearing on the outcome of the first set.<br /><br />Bopanna, mostly playing from the baseline and approaching the net occasionally, did not concede much points on his serve which was too hot to handle for the Brazilian.<br /><br />Bopanna created two break opportunities in the first set -- second and sixth games -- but could not convert any as he tried too hard, looking over-anxious on those big points.<br /><br />Bellucci got into the groove gradually but there was hardly a long rally as both the players fetched points with their serve game.<br /><br />With no player able to garner a break, the first set was stretched to a tie break in which the Indian shot to a comfortable 5-1 lead when Bellucci committed two double faults. Those were unpardonable errors and Bopanna latched on the opportunity to take lead.</p>.<p>The second set could not have started in a better way for Bopanna as he cashed in on the second breakpoint to get the first break of the match.<br /><br />However, a string of unforced errors by Bopanna gave Bellucci a chance to break back and the Brazilian accepted the offer gleefully.<br /><br />Bopanna, down 4-5, saved a set-point in the 10th game but failed to convert any of the three chances in the next game, forcing another tie-break to break the deadlock.<br /><br />It was a seesaw tie-break as Bopanna was all over Bellucci with a comfortable 5-2 lead but the Brazilian turned it around amazingly by saving three set points and went on to win it, bringing the match to level terms.<br /><br />Having made a comeback, Bellucci grew in confidence and got a mini-break by breaking Bopanna in the first game of the third set and held his serve in the next.<br /><br />Two silly mistakes almost cost Belluci the set when he failed to put ball in an open court on his first set-point and then fumbled on an attempted drop shot.<br /><br />Another unforced error handed Bopanna the crucial break, making the scoreline 5-5 but the Indian dropped the next game to trail again.<br /><br />Having escaped the turnaround, Bellucci wrapped up the set on his serve to take a 2-1 lead.<br /><br />Another feeble attempt by Bellucci to play a drop shot handed Bopanna all important breakpoint in the 10th game in the fourth set and the Indian hit a stunning backhand winner to make it two-set all.<br /><br />Bopanna rode on a double break to create a 4-1 lead in the decisive set but still ended on the wrong side of the result. </p>