India’s Davis Cup hopes suffered a setback as they fell 0-2 behind Sweden in the World Group I tie on Saturday. N Sriram Balaji and Ramkumar Ramanathan were both defeated in straight sets in the opening singles matches.
Balaji, a doubles specialist, was outplayed by Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-2. The Indian struggled to keep up with Ymer’s powerful groundstrokes and was broken twice in each set.
Ramkumar, a more experienced Davis Cupper, was expected to level the tie against Leo Borg, the son of legendary Bjorn Borg. However, the 21-year-old Borg proved to be a formidable opponent, winning 6-3, 6-3.
Ramkumar’s challenge fell apart in just 58 minutes. He failed to find a way past Borg’s solid serve and consistent groundstrokes. The Indian also made several unforced errors, which proved costly.
India now face an uphill battle to win the tie. They need to win all three remaining matches on Sunday, including the doubles and two reverse singles.
Captain Rohit Rajpal has a tough decision to make regarding the doubles pairing. Balaji and Ramkumar could be given another chance, but Niki Poonacha may also be considered.
India have a history of overcoming 0-2 deficits in Davis Cup ties. They beat Brazil in 2010 and China in 2018 after trailing 0-2. However, they will need to produce a special performance to do so again against Sweden.
