The Hindu : India breezes past Japan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 10, 2003

Sport

Sport - Tennis

India breezes past Japan

By Kamesh Srinivasan

Mahesh Bhupathi (extreme left), Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes celebrate India's victory over Japan in the Davis Cup tie in New Delhi on Sunday. — Photo: S. Subramanium

NEW DELHI FEB. 9. Takao Suzuki's ill-health scotched the Japanese hopes even before Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes tightened the noose and provided a 4-1 finish for India in the Asia Oceania group `I' Davis Cup tie at the R. K. Khanna Stadium here on Sunday.

It was an anticlimax that the best player of Japan could not play the rubber between the No.1 players of the two countries. Yet, Bopanna had to play well to clinch the issue in the morning, which he did by beating Jun Kato 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4 in two hours.

It was tough to motivate himself for the dead rubber, but Leander was game to the challenge as he entertained the holiday crowd, after a sedate start, in recording a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Gouichi Motomura. The stocky Japanese had never beaten Leander in their four earlier meetings in Challengers spread over six years and thus it was no surprise that he let Leander off the hook after a fine start.

Incidentally, the 63rd victory put Leander second behind Ramanathan Krishnan's record of 69 wins in Davis Cup play. It was the 14th time that Leander was winning all his three rubbers in a tie. It was also the 21st win for India in the 32 ties that have featured Leander so far.

There was no doubt about the ability of Leander to rise to the occasion in Davis Cup play. The Japanese did try to take a little credit away from Leander and the host by saying that Suzuki had been ill, running fever from Friday, and was only about 60 per cent fit in the match against Leander on the first day. ``We didn't have time to change Suzuki in the first match. It was bad luck that our best player took ill. He was running fever even this morning'', said the Japanese captain Jun Kamiwazumi.

``It is good that Rohan got his win. He will have time to mull over it. But it is important to start working on certain areas of one's game. We have two months before the next tie at home against New Zealand. Rohan has good people working with him. It is important to focus ahead'', said Ramesh Krishnan. The Indian captain said that the host was in the driver's seat even at 2-1, and the fact that Suzuki was in no position to play did not surprise the team.

The 22-year-old Jun Kato, ranked 503 in the world, could have complicated matters as he played quite well against the 344th ranked Bopanna in the `live' fourth rubber.

Bopanna played a lot better this day. He moved better though his volleying could have been a lot better. The best thing was that Bopanna controlled his nerves well, which reflected in his strong service. The 22-year-old Coorgi delivered only eight aces, and nine service winners and had only two doublefaults in the match. Compare that with the 20 aces and 23 doublefaults he had in the first match against Motomura, and you will know the degree of improvement in Bopanna's game and approach.

Bopanna saved a breakpoint in the fifth game, but missed three breakpoints at 0-40 on Kato's serve in the next game. He started the tie-break well with a backhand return winner but at 5-5 it was Kato who shot long, to face a setpoint. Bopanna came up with a service winner to take a decisive control over the match.

The Japanese tried to intimidate the linesman who made a good call for 6-5 in the tie-break, but Bopanna silenced them all with a neat game in the second set, when he broke Kato in the ninth game. He served out the set smoothly.

Into the decider, Bopanna stood to benefit as Kato served two doublefaults to drop serve in the first game. Bopanna did miss two breakpoints in the third game, but served so well that he dropped only three points in all in his next four service games.

``I tried to play better than what I had managed in the first match. I am very happy with my first win. I could have played much better. It is great to be in the team with Leander, and listen to him speak from such experience. Obviously it has helped me a lot'', said Bopanna whose big game has a lot of scope to flourish with a little more of self-belief and a lot better physical fitness.

The best compliment for Bopanna came from his opponent, who played well but was erratic too, in giving away many free points. ``I felt that I didn't play that bad. It was only my second match on grass and in Davis Cup. He played better than me'', said Kato.

In the last match, Leander was 0-5 down as Motomura played an inspired game, despite the fact that the tie had been decided by then. It was a challenge, and Leander was on song once he found his rhythm, as he broke Motomura in the fourth game of the second set and in the ninth game of the decider to sew up the match.

There was a bout of nerves when Leander put a volley long and doublefaulted to miss two matchpoints, but Motomura would not let the crowd wait any longer for celebration and netted on the next point.

It was a joyous scene when Leander and company ran a victory lap with the national flag. The enthusiastic crowd got into the arena making it a sea of heads, dancing to vibrant music.

``It is a sweet feeling'', said Leander on reaching his 63rd win, which puts him among the very best of players who have walked on the Davis Cup arena in the entire history of the game.

``I tried to fight, but the tie had already been lost. I tried to concentrate on the points, but Leander was good'', said Motomura, who did show his athleticism, volleying skills and resounding groundstrokes much to the entertainment of the vast gathering.

Playing India at home is not easy, it will be New Zealand's turn to understand the point next when it visits in April for the tie that will decide the team making it to the World Group qualification stage.

Having negotiated very tough conditions around the world in Davis Cup, Leander and company know the advantage of playing at home pretty well, and how to capitalise on it as well.

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