India preserved its best for the last as Prajnesh Gunneswaran tamed Yibing Wu 6-4, 6-2 to take the team to an unforgettable 3-2 victory over China in the Asia Oceania Davis Cup tennis tournament on Saturday.
It required a miracle after the disaster on the opening day when India lost both the singles, and the revival sprang on the foundation laid by Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes, who won the doubles 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(3) against Mao-Xin Gong and Ze Zhang.
The revival was miraculous as the Chinese were two points away from sealing the tie, when they led 5-3 in the second set tie-break of the doubles, and the experienced Ze Zhang was serving at 5-4.
The doubles win elevated the 44-year-old Paes as the sole owner of the most number of doubles wins at 43, but it was Bopanna who shouldered the responsibility at the crunch that brought the team back to life.
It was Bopanna who won the two points on Ze Zhang’s serve with a return winner and an overhead at the net, and he volleyed on Leander’s serve to clinch the first set for India in two days.
Thereafter, India did not drop a set in the tie, and stepped on the accelerator for a fairytale finish.
The team’s No. 1 player Ramkumar Ramanathan handled the tricky Di Wu, who came in place of Ze Zhang, with increasing authority and the left-handed Prajnesh who was not even a reserve originally, put the icing on the cake by outclassing the 18-year-old Yibing, a future star, with an authoritative performance, when he fired seven aces and dropped only 11 points in all in his service games, for a 6-4, 6-2 victory.
It was some sight to watch captain Mahesh Bhupathi sprint to Prajnesh to celebrate the victory, after Yibing sprayed the last shot, and Prajnesh himself jumping in confusion for a chest butt, before settling for the warmth of a hug.
“We fought as a team. This is the first time in the history of Indian tennis we have so much depth in the men’s game. With Yuki missing, I was able to call on three others who delivered. We are ecstatic with the way we were able to turn the tie around. Doing it away, from 0-2, is even more special,” said Mahesh, understandably elated.
While China’s bid to enter the World Group playoff failed once again since 1990, India qualified for the fifth year in a row.
The results: India bt China 3-2 [Rohan Bopanna & Leander Paes bt Mao Xin Gong & Ze Zhang 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(3); Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Di Wu 7-6(4), 6-3; Prajnesh Gunneswaran bt Yibing Wu 6-4, 6-2].
