Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna kept the Indian team’s hopes alive by winning the doubles 6-3, 6-7(9), 7-5 against Mate Pavic and Franko Skugor of Croatia in the Davis Cup qualifier tie here on Saturday.
But, Marin Cilic proved too strong for India No. 1 Sumit Nagal, who came in for Prajnesh Gunneswaran for the reverse singles. The former US Open champion and World No. 3 won 6-0, 6-1 against Nagal to seal the tie for Croatia.
After the superb performance of Ramkumar Ramanathan in the second rubber against Cilic — he lost two close tie-breakers in both sets — there was hope that India could put up a fight on the second day.
Cilic may have slipped to 37th in the rankings, but showed a lot of resolve to close out the tie, after Skugor and Pavic had run Paes and Bopanna close after saving two match points in the second set tie-breaker.
The Indian pair was in a spot of bother when Bopanna’s serve was broken in the fifth game of the decider, but the two broke Skugor’s serve in the eighth and 12th games to pull through.
Bopanna hit a magnificent backhand return while Paes made a smashing forehand return on the next. Facing a third match-point, Skugor delivered a double fault.
Interestingly, it was the 45th doubles victory for the 46-year-old Leander, and third on the trot following the wins against China and Pakistan, partnering Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan respectively.
Leander also took his overall win-loss record to 93-35 in Davis Cup.
It was the unfancied Borna Gojo, ranked 277th in the world who had laid the foundation for Croatia’s triumph with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over the 132nd-ranked Prajnesh in the first rubber.
That victory, followed by the fighting performance from Cilic, had put the Croats in the driving seat.
In the previous tie against Croatia in 1995, Paes had won all his three matches, including a five-set win over Goran Ivanisevic. But India did not have any such magician this time around!
The results:
Croatia bt India 3-1 (Mate Pavic & Franko Skugor lost to Rohan Bopanna & Leander Paes 3-6, 7-6(9), 5-7; Marin Cilic bt Sumit Nagal 6-0, 6-1) .
