Greetings and welcome, everyone. We are building up to the start of India's crucial Davis Cup Qualifiers round 1 tie against Netherlands. Stay with us for latest updates from today's matches.
Greetings and welcome, everyone. We are building up to the start of India's crucial Davis Cup Qualifiers round 1 tie against Netherlands. Stay with us for latest updates from today's matches.
The tie begins around 4pm IST with Sumit Nagal up against Guy den Ouden. The India vs Netherlands, Davis Cup 2026 Qualifiers round 1 fixture will be live streamed on the Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel in India. It will be telecast on the DD Sports TV channels in the country.
The two sets of players and support staff line up at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium ahead of the tie. The national anthems of the two countries are renditioned, and it's time for the opening match to begin. Guy den Ouden serves first against Sumit Nagal and holds on love with utmost ease to start confidently.
Guy den Ouden exerts his dominance in the encounter, breaking Sumit Nagal's service straight away after a lengthy battle and racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set. Nagal then is stretched to the limit again, and after several deuces, is broken one more time to trail 0-4. The Indian appears to be under a lot of pressure currently.
It's a tame end to the first set for Nagal, as he loses it 0-6 to den Ouden. The Indian top-ranked singles player leaves the court soon after the set, and is perhaps seeking medical attention. Let's hope the hip injury that plagued him earlier has not resurfaced.
Nagal is faring much better in the second set. It's on serve so far, at 3-3, with the Indian seemingly drawing energy from the home crowd's enthusiastic support. If the set goes on this way then the momentum can certainly shift in this match.
There it is. The Indian is now in top gear and the overall gameplay also stands elevated as he matches the Dutch player shot for shot, and breaks at the right moment to clinch the second set 6-4. India are right back in the contest as the opening rubber enters a deciding third set.
Den Ouden is on the charge again in the third set, breaking Nagal's service first up to surge to a 3-1 lead. The Indian must break back if he is to salvage the match. Remember that India's second singles seed Dhakshineswar Suresh faces Dutch top seed Jesper de Jong in the next match, so Nagal must win to give India a realistic chance in this tie.
Nagal gets the break back! He claws his way back in the third set to bring it back on serve at 3-4 against den Ouden. This match is living up to all the anticipation.
He gave it his all, but fell short eventually. Sumit Nagal goes down fighting 0-6, 6-4, 3-6 against Guy den Ouden in the opening match as Netherlands take a crucial 1-0 lead in the tie. Dhakshineswar Suresh will take on Jesper de Jong shortly.
Dhakshineswar Suresh makes a confident start to his match against Jesper de Jong, producing a number of big serves to hold comfortably in the first game of the first set. The Indian has the odds against him, but you never know what can happen with the crowd behind you.
India are not out of the tie yet. Dhakshineswar Suresh revitalizes the home camp as he takes the first set 6-4 against the fancied Jesper de Jong. After squandering two set points in the 10th game, Dhakshineswar eventually breaks the Dutch top seed, evoking cheers and fist pumps from Sumit Nagal and his other teammates.
It's been neck and neck so far in the second set between Dhakshineswar Suresh and Jesper de Jong. The set is on serve at 4-3, with the Indian keeping pace with his higher-ranked Dutch opponent. As long as Dhakshineswar avoids getting broken, the pressure will lie on de Jong.
He's done it! The 25-year-old from Madurai delivers at the big stage as he dispatches world number 88 Jesper de Jong in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 to level the tie 1-1 for India. It's a massive milestone in the career of Dhakshineswar Suresh's who's ranked 465th in the world.
Dhakshineswar Suresh's win sets the tie up nicely. Tomorrow, that is Sunday, N Sriram Balaji and Yuki Bhambri take on Sander Arends and David Pel in the men's doubles rubber at 2pm IST, followed by two reverse singles: Sumit Nagal vs Jesper de Jong and Dhakshineswar Suresh vs Guy Den Ouden. We will bring to you live updates from those matches. Until then, goodbye!