India to face South Korea on hard courts in Davis Cup Qualifiers second round
New Delhi, Aug 8
India will face South Korea on hard courts at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Seoul on September 18-19 in the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers, setting up a closely contested tie with a place in the Final 8 at stake.
The two teams are separated by only three positions in the Davis Cup rankings, South Korea being currently at 16th and India at 19th. The Koreans also have a slight edge in their head-to-head record with 6 wins to India's 5.
India will pick its squad for the important match on August 10.
The type of surface could introduce an interesting element into the contest since South Korean players are usually more at home on hard courts, whereas India chose grass when the two teams previously played each other in Chandigarh in 2016. India had won that Asia/Oceania Group I match 4-1, but the forthcoming match will be taking place under very different conditions.
India secured its spot in the second round following a dramatic 3-2 win against the Netherlands in Bengaluru in February, with Dhakshineswar Suresh standing out in the match by winning both of his singles games and also partnering Yuki Bhambri to win the doubles.
In the decisive fifth match Suresh came under pressure and won against Guy den Ouden 6-4, 7-6(4), thus securing India's victory.
This was especially significant since it was the first time that India had reached the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers under the present format, which was introduced in 2019.
At the same time, South Korea achieved a significant surprise in the first round by winning 3-2 against Argentina, the champions of 2016, in Busan. Kwon Soonwoo played a key role in the Korean win even though he was still carrying out his military service, assisting his team in mounting a comeback against the favoured South Americans.
The match in Seoul will now come down to a winner-takes-all showdown for a spot in the Davis Cup Final 8, with the winning team progressing to the Final 8, which takes place in November.
South Korea have already displayed their capability to compete at that level since they qualified for the 16-team Davis Cup Finals in both 2022 and 2023, while India will be aiming to build on the success of its recent run under the existing qualifying system and earn a spot among the world's top eight teams.
— IANS
Reader Comments
First time reaching the second round under this format and already we have a shot at the Final 8? This team has spirit. Hopefully the selectors pick the right squad on August 10. We should stick with the players who did the job against Netherlands.
Respect to Kwon Soonwoo for playing during military service and beating Argentina! That's commitment. But honestly, India's win over Netherlands was more impressive in terms of quality. Suresh deserves a grand welcome in Seoul. We have the momentum, no reason to fear the Koreans.
Slight concern: hard courts are our Achilles heel in Davis Cup history. Remember how we always struggle outside grass? But with Suresh and Yuki playing so well, this might finally change the narrative. Making the Final 8 would be huge for Indian tennis. All the best to the team! 🇮🇳
As a Canadian following international tennis, it's exciting to see India making waves. South Korea's upset over Argentina shows they're dangerous, but India's depth, especially with Suresh's clutch performance, makes this a 50-50 contest. Hard courts definitely favor the hosts though. Should be a cracker!
Well, on paper this is a bad draw for us. Grass in 2016 was smart, but now we're playing right into their strengths in Seoul. I just hope our boys practice enough on hard courts before this tie. Need to give our best, but not getting my hopes too high. Selection should include a specialist doubles pair too.
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