Davis Cup: Balaji-Bollipalli lose close doubles

BIEL: India’s N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli lost a tight doubles rubber to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker in the World Group I tie against Switzerland as the host kept itself afloat in the race for Davis Cup Qualifiers, here Saturday.

Balaji and Bollipalli lost 7-6 (3), 4-6, 5-7 in two hours and 26 minutes, and India now needs to win one of the two reverse singles.

Dhakshineshwar Suresh and Sumit Nagal had given India a handsome 2-0 advantage on Friday by winning their singles matches against Jerome Kym and Marc-Andrea Huesler respectively.

Nagal will now take on Kym in first reverse singles.

Balaji and left-handed Stricker served extremely well at the beginning, holding their serves without losing a single point. Big serves followed by quick volley winners was a routine pattern.

The Indians earned three break points on Stricker’s serve in game six and converted the third when Stricker hit a forehand on net, following a tremendous baseline exchange with Balaji.

Balaji’s overhead smash at 40-0 in next game gave India a commanding 5-3 lead in the opening set.

Serving for the opening set, a forehand return error from Balaji at 30-all gave the Swiss team a break back chance and Paul converted it by placing a winner between the two Indians.

It was a tight tie-breaker with teams locked 3-3 but Paul’s consecutive unforced errors turned it in India’s favour.

The second set remained a tight affair with both teams locked 4-4 as they came through some testing moments.

An intense battle ensued as the two teams played six deuce points but eventually Paul held his serve when Balaji’s desperate return sailed over the baseline.

Bollipalli was broken at love in the next game and it was one-set all.