India Vs South Korea: Davis Cup Final 8 Dream Shattered As Sumit Nagal Falls to Soonwoo Kwon

India let a rare chance slip to become the first Asian side under the new Davis Cup format to reach the Final 8 after Sumit Nagal lost 1-6, 2-6 to Soonwoo Kwon in the reverse singles, as reported by PTI. Korea wrapped up the Qualifier Round 2 tie 3-1 here on Saturday and ended India’s run in Seoul.

The setback came after India had briefly stayed alive through a doubles win. Dhakshineswar Suresh and N Sriram Balaji cut the deficit to 1-2, but Nagal could not turn the must-win rubber into a deciding match against Korea number one Kwon. Kwon took charge from the start, and Nagal looked a pale shadow of the fighter who had pushed Hyeon Chung to a three-hour battle on the opening day.

Kwon dictated the exchanges from the outset. He raced through the opening set 6-1, with Nagal unable to settle into any rhythm or intensity in the difficult heat. India had arrived with a real chance after beating the Netherlands earlier this year, but that chance slipped away after two opening singles defeats and a failed comeback bid.

Doubles Fightback Works

India then changed tack. After falling 0-2 behind, they turned to Dhakshineswar in place of Niki Poonacha, backing the player they felt had the level and temperament to produce a result in the most difficult circumstances alongside Balaji.

The move worked. Dhakshineswar and Balaji won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 after an opening set in which India repeatedly went after Nam’s serve. They created four break chances in one game before finally making the pressure count. Balaji produced a fierce return to earn the first look, Dhakshineswar struck a winner for the second and Balaji forced another opening with a forehand return.

Korea held on through strong net play for a while, but the pressure kept building. Balaji eventually finished the resistance with a volley winner to secure the break. India then played with the confidence of a side with nothing to lose. Balaji was especially steady on serve, losing no more than two points in the set, while Dhakshineswar stayed composed and their returning continued to keep Nam under pressure.

A late push on Nam’s delivery created set-point chances, but Park stood firm. India had already done enough damage and Balaji closed out the set without dropping more than two points on serve.

The second set tightened up. Both pairs protected serve and gave away little, with Park and Dhakshineswar particularly secure behind their deliveries.

One service game changed everything. A Nam winner put pressure on Balaji, and a wide forehand return left Korea with two break chances. India saved the first, but a double fault on the second handed Korea the break.

Nam then consolidated, Dhakshineswar did his part to keep India in the set, and Park held firm when it mattered as Korea levelled the match. At 1-1, the contest was effectively reset.

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Decisive Final Set

The third set carried a different sort of tension. Every point felt heavy, rallies stretched out, free points disappeared and there was little margin for error. Even the biggest servers were being pulled into uncomfortable service games.

Dhakshineswar had to scrap to hold, while Park also came under pressure. In the sixth game, Dhakshineswar forced Park to deuce with a fine volley winner, but the Korean got out of trouble with solid serving.

India kept pressing, and when the opening came it was decisive. Nam’s serve, which had been targeted from the start, finally gave way in the eighth game, and India broke him to love with a winner from Dhakshineswar that left Balaji to serve for the match.

Korea were not done. Balaji slipped to 30-30, with the match still in the balance. Then Dhakshineswar stepped in and made the key intervention, putting away a simple winner to earn match point. On the next rally, with both Koreans moving to the net, he found another winner past their reach to clinch the doubles rubber.

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Historic Korean Breakthrough

Korea’s victory carried wider significance. They became the first Asian team to qualify for the Davis Cup knockout stage since the format was revamped, a landmark moment for Korean tennis.

For India, it was a dispiriting end to a campaign that had shown promise. After beating the Netherlands earlier this year, they arrived in Seoul with a real chance to break new ground, only to lose both singles and then fall short even after the doubles rescue act.

India will now return to Qualifier Round 1 in 2027. The tie could also be Rohit Rajpal’s final Davis Cup appearance as captain. His contract runs until December 2026, no extension has been announced and his future in the role remains uncertain.