Davis Cup: N Sriram Balaji-Rithvik Bollipalli Lose Doubles Match As Switzerland Stay Alive | Sports News

India need to win one of the two reverse singles. (Picture Credit: IG/aitatennis_official)

India’s N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli lost a closely contested doubles match against Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker in the World Group I tie against Switzerland in Biel on Saturday.

This defeat allowed the hosts to remain in the race for Davis Cup Qualifiers.

Balaji and Bollipalli lost 7-6 (3), 4-6, 5-7 in a match that lasted two hours and 26 minutes. India now needs to win one of the two reverse singles matches.

Dhakshineshwar Suresh and Sumit Nagal had given India a strong 2-0 lead on Friday by winning their singles matches against Jerome Kym and Marc-Andrea Huesler respectively.

Nagal will now face Kym in the first reverse singles match.

Balaji and the left-handed Stricker served excellently at the start, holding their serves without dropping a single point, with big serves followed by quick volley winners being a regular pattern.

India lost their first point due to a double fault from Bollipalli. The Indians pressured Paul’s serve with some thoughtful returns, but the Swiss managed to hold after playing a deuce point.

India earned three break points on Stricker’s serve in the sixth game and converted the third when Stricker hit a forehand into the net after an intense baseline exchange with Balaji.

Balaji’s overhead smash at 40-0 in the next game gave India a commanding 5-3 lead in the opening set.

While serving for the opening set, a forehand return error from Balaji at 30-all gave the Swiss team a break-back chance, which Paul converted by placing a winner between the two Indians.

The tie-breaker was tight with the teams locked at 3-3, but Paul’s consecutive unforced errors turned it in India’s favour.

The second set remained closely contested with both teams tied at 4-4, having navigated some challenging moments.

Balaji had a great chance to earn a decisive breakpoint at 30-all in the ninth game but missed a volley. Paul’s forehand return landed just wide on deuce, giving India another break chance soon, but Stricker’s powerful forehand return just grazed the baseline.

An intense battle followed as the two teams played six deuce points, but Paul ultimately held his serve when Balaji’s desperate return sailed over the baseline.

Bollipalli was broken at love in the next game, making it one-set all.

An early break put India in a strong position, but Bollipalli again faced a break point when Paul found an angled winner at 30-30. The Indian managed to hold after hitting aces on three deuce points.

Stricker found a service return winner on Balaji’s serve to earn a break-back chance, and Balaji’s double fault made it 3-3.

While serving to stay in the match, Bollipalli started with a double fault and followed it with a backhand error. Paul’s forehand winner gave the hosts three match points, which they converted when Bollipalli’s return fell into the net.

The last time India defeated a European side in an away tie was in 1993 when Leander Paes and Ramesh Krishnan led the team to a 3-2 win over France in the quarterfinals.

Since the start of the century, India has lost away ties to Sweden (2024), Denmark (2023), Norway (2022), Finland (2021), Croatia (2020), Italy (2019), Serbia (2018, 2011), Canada (2017), Russia (2010), Romania (2008), Sweden (2005), Netherlands (2003), and Sweden (2000).

India did beat Denmark at home on a grass court in 2022 in New Delhi.

With PTI Inputs