Davis Cup 2022: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan defeat Denmark in the playoffs

The Indian tennis team has managed to defeat Denmark in its 2022 Davis Cup World Group I playoffs tie which took place at the Delhi Gymkhana Club on Saturday.

India headed into the second day of the tie with a 2-0 lead after Ramkumar Ramanathan and Yuki Bhambri won their respective singles rubbers match on Friday. On Saturday, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan have managed to wrap up the five-match series with a thrilling 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7(7)-6(4) victory over Danish captain Frederik Nielsen and his partner Mikael Torpegaard.

Frederik Nielsen, a former Wimbledon doubles champion, was due to partner Johannes Ingildsen initially but the Denmark team management decided to swap in Torpegaard, the highest-ranked Danish player in the tie, for the crunch match.

Both teams went toe-to-toe in the first set, holding their serves. With the score at 6-6, however, the Danish outfit upped their ante in the tie-breaker to win the set 6(3)-7(7).

The loss brought out an immediate response from the Indians as both Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan broke their Danish opponents in the very first game of the second set and rode the momentum to level the tennis match up at 1-1.

In the third and deciding set, with a capacity crowd at the venue egging them on, the Indians dug deep to save three match points in the 12th game and took the affair to a tie-breaker, which they won 7-4.

The doubles victory meant that India had won the five-match series with an unassailable 3-0 lead and sealed their spot in the Davis Cup 2022 World Group I stage. India had earlier dropped down to the Group I playoffs after losing to Finland in the Group I tie in the Davis Cup last season.

Ramanathan and Bhambri will play the remaining two reverse singles matches – both dead rubbers – later in the day as well.