* Beats higher-ranked Jiří Veselý in straight sets after Yuki Bhambri goes down to Lukáš Rosol * Paes-Bopanna in action today
A small group of supporters crying “pojďme Ceské” (let’s go, Czech) and “přijde na Ceský” (come on, Czech) simply couldn't stop the rampaging Somdev Devvarman from taming Jiří Veselý to help India draw level on Day One of the World Group play-off tie at the DLTA Complex here on Friday.
Devvarman was not just up against a higher-ranked player (World No. 40). In fact, he had stepped onto the court after witnessing the mauling of his younger teammate, Yuki Bhambri, at the hands of World No. 85 Lukáš Rosol in less than two hours.
Feeding off the energy of the home crowd and the fact that he had not lost a singles match-up here since his gold medal triumph at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Devvarman displayed a steely nerve and some old-school resolve to keep India’s chances of pulling off a coup against their top-ranked opponents very much alive. Devvarman won 7-6(3) 6-4 6-3 after two hours and 41 minutes.
Veselý looked completely out of sorts in the intense heat and the first went into the tie-breaker. Devvarman found the first min-break at 2-2 and never looked back. He duly took it 7-3.
The Czech Republic player broke Devvarman in the first game of the second set, but couldn’t hold his own serve. Devvarman, all charged up by now, broke his higher-ranked rival again to seal the set.
Veselý was clearly undone by the Delhi heat and when Devvarman tossed his racquet into the stands, he must have felt relieved to get off court. For Devvarman, too, this victory has come at a time when was going through probably one of the worst phases of his career. Having been beaten twice this year by players ranked outside the top 400, Devvarman will now eagerly await Sunday’s reverse singles to try and pull off one of the biggest upsets of his Davis Cup career.
Earlier, the visitors got their campaign off to a flying start after Rosol made short work of Bhambri to register a 6-2 6-1 7-5 victory. Rosol, who beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon three years ago, dominated Bhambri throughout the contest.
On Saturday, Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna will take on Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek in the crucial doubles rubber which could well decide the outcome of this tie.
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