Best comeback, says Paes

Leander Paes termed the five-set victory over Serbia here at the KSLTA Stadium as the “best comeback” in his Davis Cup doubles career.

Paes and his partner Rohan Bopanna were down two sets and a break against Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac, before the duo turned the tables to clinch the win.

“I have been part of some memorable matches in the singles, but in doubles, this has to be the best comeback in my Davis Cup career. This is true especially when you consider how strong their team is; it was an incredible match,” Paes said.

The 41-year-old stated that the pair was helped along by Indian Captain Anand Amritraj, who told them to slow down the pace of the match after the first two sets. “The other big difference was that from the third set onwards, Bopanna came into his own. When he moves and covers the court, he becomes a much better player,” Paes added.

A distraught Zimonjic explained that an injury he suffered during the third set took its toll. “A couple of points before I called for the trainer, I hit a forehand down the line, and felt a sharp pain in my neck. I did my best to cope with the pain, but unfortunately, we lost.

“It is difficult to play when you cannot turn your head sideways,” Zimonjic said.

A similarly downcast Bozoljac had a tough time explaining the loss. “We had the match in our pocket. I cannot understand how we ended up losing,” he said.