TIANJIN, China -- The Indian Davis Cup team was staring at defeat at the zonal level for the first time in five years after both Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal lost their respective matches on the opening day of the second round tie against China here on Friday.
In the absence of the in-form Yuki Bhambri, who skipped the tie due to an abdomen injury, Ramkumar was expected to deliver but he lost the first singles 6-7(4), 4-6 to Yibing Wu. The 18-year-old Chinese, who was junior world No. 1 till recently and won the singles junior US Open title in 2017, dropped serve in the very first game of the match but immediately broke back and eventually took the set via tie-breaker.
Ramkumar, who has risen to a career-best rank of 132 in singles, had two break chances in the second set against the world No. 332 but could convert none and dropped serve once to let the home side take a 1-0 lead.
In the second rubber, world No. 213 Nagal lost 4-6, 1-6 to Ze Zhang, ranked 247 in just 67 minutes.
India's non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi described the opening day as "shocking". "It was disappointing display by both. No hunger, no fight and no aggression," Bhupathi told PTI.
Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna will now play a do-or-die third rubber against Mao-Xin Gong and Di Wu on Saturday. If they win, Paes will become the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup. He is tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli.
The last time India lost a tie at the Asia/Oceania level was in February 2013 when all the top players, led by Somdev Devvarman, boycotted the contest against South Korea and the depleted Indian side lost 4-1 in New Delhi.