India's top-ranked tennis player Prakash Amritraj rose to the occasion after setting aside individual grudges to edge out the challenge of Uzbekistan’s Farrukh Dustov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the fifth and deciding rubber, handing India a thrilling 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan, of the Asia-Oceania group ‘I’ Davis Cup tie played at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here on Sunday.
Earlier, Rohan Bopanna tried his hard against the Asian champion Denis Istomin but couldn’t settle the issue pushing it on to the final match. Istomin came from behind, after being two sets down, to clinch the fourth marathon rubber.
He won the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(1), 8-6 that lasted just over three hours on a bright sunny day in front of a handful yet electrifying crowd which showcased Indian support all along the day.
Prakash, who was playing fifth rubber for the first time in his career, held his nerve and sealed the match in India’s favour with consummate ease. “I was looking forward to the fifth match. I don’t think that it was one of my best performances on grass,” feels Prakash after winning the crucial match
“I was a bit rusty, while Dustov got his rhythm after winning the second set. I needed to serve harder to pull it off and I am glad that it went my way,” Prakash said.
The match could have been easily settled in the first reverse single with the hero of the first two days, Bopanna was well leading 4-2 in the third set after having won the first two.
But all off a sudden Bopanna lost his rhythm and Istomin got his tempo back after finding his opponent faltering on the other end. Istomin came up with an impressive performance as he had promised the previous day.
“I am proud of the whole team. It was up and down through the week but the good thing was that we stuck together,” an emotional Paes later said.
Paes also announced that he would surely do his homework on the form of the players before the next tie against Japan at home, which is likely to be played at the same venue in April.
"I believe in selecting the players on current form. We move forward, taking the team unity. We all go to the circuit and get back together for the next tie."
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