Big Win for Indian Tennis: Pant Applauds Davis Cup Qualifier Triumph Over Netherlands

New Delhi – India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant praised the Indian men’s tennis team for their impressive victory over the Netherlands in the first round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers.

India registered a thrilling win against world No. 6 Netherlands under floodlights in Bengaluru on Sunday, thanks largely to Dhakshineswar Suresh’s outstanding performance. The triumph secured India’s place in the second round of the Qualifiers scheduled for September, where they will battle for a spot in the eight-team Davis Cup Finals.

Congratulating the team, Pant wrote on X, “Big win for Indian tennis in the Davis Cup Qualifiers. Beating the Netherlands and advancing to the second round requires immense determination. Well played, boys.”

Suresh, who had earlier earned India a crucial point by defeating the Netherlands’ top-ranked player Jesper De Jong in Saturday’s singles, joined forces with Yuki Bhambri in the doubles clash against David Pel and Sander Arends. Despite playing together for the first time, the Indian duo delivered a remarkable performance, winning 7-6(0), 3-6, 7-6(1) in a hard-fought three-hour contest, giving India its first lead in the tie.

India needed Sumit Nagal to secure victory in the first reverse singles. However, De Jong bounced back to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, levelling the contest. Nagal showed exceptional courage by competing despite suffering from a grade two tear in his right thigh, buying valuable recovery time for his teammate with his determined effort.

World No. 457 Suresh returned for the decisive match against Guy Den Ouden. Although Den Ouden struggled with his first serve, he fired 15 aces and did not face a single break point. Despite the tough challenge, Suresh’s overall performance in the tie was historic.

With his effort, Suresh became the first Indian since Leander Paes in 2004 to win three matches in a single Davis Cup tie. The victory also marked India’s best performance in the tournament since reaching the last 16, where they lost to defending champions Serbia 15 years ago.

With inputs from IANS