Davis Cup: India to play playoffs after suffering 3-0 loss to Norway

Hosts Norway defeated India 3-0 in the World Group 1 tie of the Davis Cup in Lillehammer to go through to the World Group qualifiers. As a consequence, India will now need to play the World Group 1 playoffs in order to stay in the competition.
The only doubles rubber of the tie was a must-win for India on Saturday, after losing both their matches on Friday. With Rohan Bopanna out with injury, India fielded the partnership of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni. The duo have done well at Challenger level, winning five titles in the second rung of men’s tennis this year. Despite the anticipation, they came up short against the partnership of World No. 2 Casper Ruud and Viktor Durasovic.
Nerves were evident from the onset of the match, with both teams suffering early breaks in the first set. Norway broke Myneni to go 4-2 up and round out the set. The Indian duo plotted a comeback in the second, getting the only break in the set in the sixth game to win India’s first set of the round. But Ruud and Durasovic held their own better in the third, finding the only breakthrough of the third breaking Bhambri’s serve for the first time in the match to round out a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win.
US open final Ruud steamrolls Prajnesh
The round began with Ruud taking on Prajnesh Gunneswaran on Friday. Fresh off a four-set defeat in the final of the US Open last week, Ruud showed no signs of fatigue in the first set, storming through with multiple breaks of Prajnesh’s serve. There was a drop-off in his level in the second, but Prajnesh could not capitalise, losing the tie 1-6, 4-6. India held more hopes from the second rubber of the round, when India No. 1 and World No. 276 took on the 325th-ranked Durasovic.
But Ramanathan could not deliver. The match played out a bit like the previous one, with Durasovic taking a commanding 6-1 lead in the first set after coming in clutch to push Ramanathan’s serve as hard as he could to win the fourth game. Durasovic put on a similar returning performance in the third game of the second, making three break point opportunities before he found the breakthrough to win the tie with the exact same scoreline as the previous match. Later on Saturday, Sumit Nagal defeated Lukas Hellum Lilleengen 6-2, 6-1 in a dead rubber match the two teams agreed to play to give the players some match time.

DAVIS CUP: NORWAY 1, INDIA 0
World No.2 Casper Ruud asserted his class as he breezed past Prajnesh Gunneswaran
Prajnesh put up a strong fight in the 2nd set, but Ruud was too good in the end
[Rubber 1] Casper Ruud(🇳🇴,2) d. Prajnesh Gunneswaran(🇮🇳,335) 6-1 6-4 pic.twitter.com/fFk2kMTZGC
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) September 16, 2022
After defeating Denmark commandingly in Delhi back in March, the result will come as a disappointment to India. Even though the Norwegian contingent were led the World No. 2, India had their chances in the other matches, and yet, lost in a washout. India will now have to play in the World Group 1 playoffs in order to make it to the World Group qualifiers. Winners of the qualifiers will play the finals event in November in Spain.
Scores:
Day 1
Casper Ruud def. Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-1, 6-4
Viktor Durasovic def. Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-1, 6-4
Day 2
Casper Ruud/Viktor Durasovic def. Yuki Bhambri/Saketh Myneni 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Sumit Nagal def. Lukas Hellum Lilleengen 6-2, 6-1 (dead rubber)