India was left to battle it out in the Asian zone yet again after Ramkumar Ramanathan’s defeat in the must-win fourth rubber as Denis Shapovalov steered Canada back to the Davis Cup World Group, here on Sunday.
India needed Ramkumar to create some magic on the final day of the tie, but his failure to convert chances proved crucial as World No. 51 Shapovalov shut the door on the visitors with a decisive 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-3 win.
Its fate already sealed, Yuki Bhambri won the dead fifth rubber against Brayden Schnur 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 as India lost the World Group playoff tie 3-2.
It is now a fourth straight year that India has not managed to cross the playoffs hurdle, having lost to Serbia, the Czech Republic and Spain in the previous three attempts.
Canada has earned its spot back in the 16-nation World Group, while India will again strive in the Asia/Oceania Group I in 2018 to get to the playoffs stage.
Bhupathi rues missed chances
Indian team captain Mahesh Bhupathi rued the missed chances on all the three days.
“We did not take our chances. We had a few on all days, including today when Ramkumar had four set points in the second to even the match,” said Bhupathi.
Talking about the positives from the tie, he said, “We worked and fought hard and we are very close to making the World Group. Next year this time, I expect both Yuki and Ramkumar to be in top 100.”
In a nervous start, Ramkumar lost 11 straight points but gradually the serve and volley strategy helped him negate Shapovalov’s fiery ground strokes.
The Chennai youngster took some time to settle but by the time he controlled the butterflies in his stomach, Shapovalov had gone up 4-1 with a break of serve in the opening set.
It was one-way traffic till the eighth game as the Canadian left-hander lost only three points till he came out to serve out the opening set. Ramkumar tried to serve and volley but Shapovalov was quick with his returns, hardly giving time to the Indian to charge the net finish the points.
Ramkumar did pose a few question in the ninth game with some sharp returns, earning two breakpoints, but Shapovalov used his big serve to save both and served it out with an ace.
The Indian grew in confidence and put up a much better fight in the second set as he served two games at love. The chip and charge strategy paid good dividends as he led 5-4.
Letting it slip
However, the good work came to a naught as he could not convert any of the four set points he earned in the 12th game and eventually lost the tie-breaker with his fifth double fault of the match.
Despite put under pressure, Shapovalov won 13 of the last 15 points of the second set. That was the difference between the two players. While Ramkumar could take none of the six break chances he got, Shapovalov lifted himself from tricky situations easily.
Shapovalov broke the Indian at love in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead and clinched the tie in the ninth game on an unforced error from Ramkumar.
Belgium in final
In Brussels, Steve Darcis defeated Jordan Thompson 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in the fifth rubber to secure Belgium’s come-from-behind victory.
The results: World Group playoff: Canada bt India 3-2 [Denis Shapovalov bt Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-3; Brayden Schnur lost to Yuki Bhambri 6-4, 4-6, 6-4] .
Semifinals: In Brussels: Belgium 3 bt Australia 2 [Steve Darcis bt Jordan Thompson 6-4, 7-5, 6-2] .
