Yuki Bhambri is delighted to “get the job done” against New Zealand, and looks forward to the tie against the Czech Republic at home.
After enduring long flying hours, from Christchurch to the US, for tournaments in the run-up to the US Open, the 23-year-old Bhambri was able to reflect on the memorable tie and the challenge ahead, as he talked to The Hindu on Tuesday.
“Any team is tough at that level, and the Czech Republic is one of the toughest we could have drawn. But, it is always an advantage to play at home, in familiar conditions with crowd support,” said Bhambri.
Looking back at his performance in the Asia-Oceania Group-1 tie against New Zealand, the 151st ranked Bhambri said that “it was great”.
“Six straight sets. To win after being 0-1 and then winning the fifth rubber. It was satisfying,” said Bhambri, who dropped only nine points in all in his services games, in three sets, against Jose Statham.
Three of those points were given through double faults.
In his second rubber, when he won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 against his friend and doubles partner Michael Venus, Bhambri dropped 18 points in all in three sets, and faced only three breakpoints.“I had to play sharp and could not afford to give any opportunity,” Bhambri said.
Superb BhambriRohan Bopanna, who has returned home for a short break before the US circuit said that it was the best match that he had ever seen Bhambri play.
“From the World Group play-off tie in Bengaluru last year, to the one now, it looked as if it was Yuki’s twin brother. I think Yuki is very comfortable playing indoors. I had seen that earlier in South Africa,” said Bopanna.
Bhambri felt that the decision to train for two weeks before the tie after the Wimbledon qualifying event, despite the intermittent rains in Delhi, had paid off.
Somdev Devvarman, in comparison, had won a Challenger the week before the Davis Cup tie, to be match fit. Was he tired?
“'Somdev is never tired in a match. He always has the energy. We expected Michael to do well. He came back strongly. He really played very well. He was fired up, and went for broke on everything and got it,” said Bhambri. On his part, Bhambri said that he was able to “block it off” and focus on what he had to do, and played calmly after the nervousness of the first few games.
The doubles loss was a surprise, but Bopanna argued that the Kiwis, regulars as a pair both in Davis Cup and on the professional circuit were the favourites with a combined rank of about 100, as compared to him and Saketh Myneni with a combined rank of about 200.
Looking forward to the World Group play-off tie,
Bopanna felt that Delhi had a good chance as both Devvarman and Bhambri were quite at home on the centre court at the R. K. Khanna Stadium which had witnessed many memorable ties over the years.
