CHENNAI: Both Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh generated chances but couldn't convert on the opening day of the Davis Cup qualifier between India and South Korea in Seoul on Friday.
After Suresh, who had emerged as the hero during India's last Davis meeting against The Netherlands earlier this year, went down fighting on the slow hardcourts of Seoul, Nagal, India's highest ranked singles player, lost out in the clutch.
In fact, both players had won the opening sets but struggled to close it down. "It was a long day," Nagal was quoted as saying by PTI after losing 6-2, 4-6, 5-7. "I was expecting a tough match and it was a tough match. I had chances in the second set. I didn't close it down. I went for it, missed it, and then from there the match pretty much changed," the World No. 274 added.
His opponent, Hyeon Chung, who had famously eliminated Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the 2018 Australian Open, served better when it mattered most. "I mean, the speed is okay," Nagal, who will play the first reverse singles on Saturday, explained. "It's a little bit dead, the conditions. It's not easy to hurt if somebody is very good at defence, and I felt like Chung played pretty good defence," he said.
For India to stay alive in the tie, they will need to win the doubles rubber before Nagal's match against Kwon. In Friday's first match, Kwon had given the hosts the lead as he beat Suresh 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.
Friday's results
Soonwoo Kwon bt Dhakshineswar Suresh 6-3, 3-6, 4-6; Hyeon Chung bt Sumit Nagal 6-2, 4-6, 5-7
Saturday's matches
Jisung Nam/Uisung Park vs N Sriram Balaji/Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha
Kwon vs Nagal
Chung vs Dhakshineswar
