Davis Cup: India's dreams crushed as Italy win 3-1 to reach finals

When India had shown a slight ray of hope to make a come back, Andreas Seppi defeated India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-1, 6-4 to guide Italy 3-1 into the first finals of the revamped Davis Cup world group qualifier on Saturday.

Seppi brushed aside Gunneswaran in the first reverse singles tie at Kolkata’s grass court after India had avoided a whitewash by taking the doubles.

Italy had taken a 2-0 lead and were forced to extend the encounter after Simone Bolleli and Matteo Berrettini lost to Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan 6-4, 3-6, 4-6.

The 34-year-old Seppi outplayed the 102-ranked Gunneswaran in just over an hour to take his team into the finals which will be held in Madrid in November.

Victory for Italy!

Andreas Seppi seals the win 61 64 and holds off a late comeback from India.

#DavisCupQualifiers #INDITA pic.twitter.com/VNsZjMCHP0

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) February 2, 2019

“It was an important win for us. Of course, after a tough double, I had to come out and play a deciding single in the end and I played a solid match,” Seppi said after the win.

“Aim is to stay healthy because I am not the youngest guy on tour. I hope my body holds up and I can still enjoy some tennis in the coming years,” Seppi added.

According to the new format by the International Tennis Federation, the Davis Cup will be decided at a season-ending 18-team event between the week of November 18-24.

“It’s a tough event and its end of the season so you never know how you feel as everybody is tired. So depends on which condition you go there but I think we have a strong team,” he said.

Indian’s Bopanna and Sharan had come back from a set down to beat Bolleli-Berrettini in the best of five sets to three according to the new format.

Seppi had defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-2 on Friday’s opening day match, while Berrettini beat Gunneswaran 6-4, 6-3.