A standout performance by Dhakshineswar Suresh powered India to a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in the first round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Suresh delivered under pressure across the tie, winning his singles matches and combining with Yuki Bhambri to clinch the doubles, giving India a crucial edge before the decisive reverse singles. His straight-sets win over Guy Den Ouden, 6-4, 7-6 (4), sealed the tie and sent India through to the second round of the Qualifiers in September, where teams will compete for a place in the eight-team Davis Cup Finals.

India had taken a 2-1 lead after the doubles, with Suresh and Bhambri defeating David Pel and Sander Arends 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1). However, the momentum briefly shifted when Jesper de Jong staged a comeback to defeat Sumit Nagal in the fourth rubber, forcing the tie into a decider.

The fifth and final rubber saw Suresh produce a composed performance, firing 15 aces and breaking Den Ouden in the seventh game of the opening set. Both players held serve in a tightly contested second set before Suresh closed out the match in the tie-break to secure victory for India.

Non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal praised Nagal’s leadership despite the Indian number one not being fully fit. “It’s been a difficult 10 days with our number one player suffering from an injury. 

This is not even 50 percent of Sumit Nagal, because if Sumit Nagal was firing both ways, this would have been a different story. I can say that with confidence now. But again, my compliments to him; he fought like a tiger, he came there, and he led the team like a tiger, like the number one in India should.”

Rajpal also highlighted Suresh’s importance to the team, saying, “He is my trump card that I keep pulling out every time, and it works every time.”

Reflecting on his approach, Suresh emphasized consistency and playing to his strengths. “Definitely, I have to put my height to use. Being 6’6″ and being the only Indian who’s tall, I must work on my strengths and make the most of it. I go out every day and try to get a basket of serves. It’s always about consistency. When I get into crucial moments in the match, I tell myself I have done this a million times, so it’s just another ball which I’m going to hit.”

In other first-round ties, Canada edged Brazil 3-2 in Vancouver, with Liam Draxl defeating Gustavo Heide 6-3, 6-4 in the deciding rubber to set up a second-round clash with France. 

Elsewhere, Chile beat Serbia 4-0, Germany defeated Peru 4-0, Croatia overcame Denmark 3-1, Great Britain beat Norway 4-0, Austria edged Japan 3-2, Korea defeated Argentina 3-2, the USA beat Hungary 4-0, France beat Slovakia 3-1, and Czechia overcame Sweden 3-1.

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