New Delhi: Rohan Bopanna on Sunday steered India to an emphatic 4-1 victory over South Korea in the Asia/Oceania Davis Cup Group I tie after winning his reverse singles match in Chandigarh.
India, which had secured a world play-off berth on Saturday by taking a 3-0 lead, led 4-0 after Bopanna’s triumph but South Korea managed a consolation win in the final match.
Bopanna, who took court in place of Saketh Myneni, was given a hard time by Hong Chung but prevailed 3-6 6-4 6-4 on the grass court of the Chandigarh Club.
South Korea’s Yong-Kyu Lim then spoilt India’s hopes of a clean sweep after serving past Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3 5-7 7-6 in the fifth and final rubber.
Earlier, the doubles pair of Bopanna and Leander Paes had already sealed the tie on Saturday after the singles players had given India a 2-0 cushion on the opening day.
It was a great tune-up for Bopanna and Paes who have been made to team up for the men’s doubles draw in the upcoming Rio Olympics by the Indian tennis association.
Meanwhile, Victorija Golubic claimed a home victory at the Gstaad WTA tournament on Sunday, the Zurich player fighting back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat of third seed Kiki Bertens.
The world No. 105 won the first title of her career in just over two hours as she overhauled her more experienced Dutch opponent.
Golubic denied 26th-ranked Bertens a second title this season after Nurnberg as she claimed at a tournament returning to the calendar after a three-decade absence.
Golubic lost the first set but won the second, which was littered with six breaks of serve.
The 23-year-old Swiss went down a break in the first game of the final set but immediately broke back. She concluded victory as she broke Bertens in the tenth game as the Dutch player sent a return out.
Bertens was plagued by six double-faults as an event which had been rained off for three mid-week days finished on schedule in bright sunshine over the Alps.
Bertens was unable to save any of the seven break points she faced as Golubic took command at key moments; the Swiss lost her own serve five times.
“It’s fantastic to win at home,” said Golubic. “Kiki is always so tough to play. I was impressed with her play in Paris (where she beat Gstaad top seed Timea Bacsinszky in the quarter-finals).”
Bertens praised Golubic for an “unbelievable week”.
“We had a lot of trouble with the weather and scheduling, but she came through for the win. Victorija played a great match today when it counted.”
Golubic showed much more skill through her tennis than with a traditional alpenhorn.
The three-metre long mountain wooden musical instrument is used as part of the trophy ceremony in this alpine village.
This was the first women’s event staged in Switzerland since the last edition of the Zurich Indoors in 2008.
