Davis Cup: India lose 1-3 as Bhambri falls in straight sets to Vesely

NEW DELHI: It could have been the Yuki & Somdev story but the script kept changing every day. Ultimately, it was to be Jiri Vesely's tale, of the pressure on his young shoulders to build a bridge to safety after having landed his much-fancied No. 1 team in troubled waters.
Wilting in the hot and humid conditions at DLTA on the opening day against a determined and clever Devvarman, the 22-year-old was showing signs of vulnerability under the cruel sun but stuck through to swat the challenge of Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 12 minutes.One more set, and you never what would have happened.
It wasn't to be. It was 3-1 to the Czechs, the final reverse rubber of the World Group Playoff tie deemed inconsequential and ultimately called off because of the weather. For the Indians, it is back to the grind of the Asia-Oceania Group 1.
If the past was tense, the present made sense for Vesely. The cry of relief at the end was the release of a heavy burden. Leading the line in the absence of world No. 5 Tomas Berdych, the 40th-ranked from Pribran had all to do and was mentally prepared to take charge in the crucial reverse singles rubber. His game plan was to attack the Yuki backhand, and it worked. The 125th-ranked Indian just couldn't find the rhythm to keep the ball in play and wear down his opponent who may not have lasted the distance.
Hope soon turned to despair as the pattern of the match was set. Every time the 23-year-old Delhi boy smelt an opportunity, the 6'6'' Czech served his way out of danger. A break each in the first two sets was enough to pave the route to an important, face-saving triumph as the 2012 and 20013 champions extended their stay in the 16-team Elite Group to ten years.
The hosts were left to rue the missed opportunites that were presented after Somdev's upset win over Vesely .Maybe they lost the tie on Saturday itself as the normally formidable but ageing duo of Leander Paes (42) and Rohan Bopanna (35) performed well below par to hand back the initiative to the visitors. Choosing this venue and city was part of the master plan, and captain Anand Amritraj & Co may have over-reached on the first day only to be let down by the veterans. “We had a realistic chance after the Somdev win but unfortunately the doubles went south, it wasn't even a contest,” said Amritraj.
The window opened again in the second set on Sunday. At 3-4, Vesely’s double faults gave the crowd something to cheer about but the Czech saved four break points. In the next game, Yuki piled on the unforced errors to hand the break to his opponent. Vesely's ace settled the issue at 7-5, but a muffled ‘come on' suggested he was running on reserve fuel. However, it was too late for a comeback, or even a hint of one. Bhambri lost his serve in the first game of the third set and the die was cast. “Fight” was Vesely's answer when asked about his strategy for the match. It may be his redemption song.
Follow TOI Sports on Twitter >>>@TOISportsNews