Sweden made swift work of taking a 2-0 lead over India on the opening day of the Davis Cup World Group-1 tie on the indoor exhausting courts of the The Royal Tennis Corridor in Stockholm on Saturday (September 14, 2024).
Leo Borg rose to the event, and defied his rank of 603 to notch his maiden Davis Cup win, as he beat India No.1 Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-4 within the second rubber.
The 238th ranked Elias Ymer had put Sweden forward as he raced previous Sriram Balaji 6-4, 6-2.
Ramkumar did rise hopes of a revival as he gained an early break to guide 2-1 within the opening set towards Borg, however the 21-year-old Swede, goaded by a packed stadium, stepped it up shortly to swing the match round, in taking a 5-2 lead.
Ramkumar did handle to save lots of two set factors on serve to carry for 3-5, however Borg sealed the primary rubber at love within the subsequent recreation.
Within the second set, Borg, son of the legendary 11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg, took a agency grip over the proceedings with a break within the seventh recreation. Thereafter, he served robust to shut out the rubber.
India could have a mountain to climb on the morrow, with the opening doubles rubber, scheduled to characteristic Ramkumar and Balaji towards Andre Goransson and Filip Bergevi.
India may have aspired to win this tie, however the absence of the 73rd ranked Sumit Nagal, nursing a sore again, other than the very best doubles participant Yuki Bhambri, after the retirement of Rohan Bopanna, harm its possibilities.
Balaji and Ramkumar had performed their half effectively earlier within the play-off tie towards Pakistan, however Sweden at residence has proved a tough nut to crack for India.
By the way, within the historical past of Davis Cup, Sweden has gained all its 5 ties towards India, dropping solely two rubbers in all.
The Indian staff would look to win its first rubber on Sunday to make a battle of it.
The outcomes:
Sweden leads India 2-0 (Elias Ymer bt Sriram Balaji 6-4, 6-2; Leo Borg bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-4
Revealed – September 14, 2024 09:09 pm IST