Davis Cup: India defeat Denmark 3-0; seal spot in World Group I stage

The Indian tennis team defeated Denmark in their Davis Cup 2022 World Group I playoff tie here at the Delhi Gymkhana Club on Saturday.

Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan wrapped up the five-match series with a 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7(7)-6(4) victory over Danish captain Frederik Nielsen and his partner Mikael Torpegaard as India gained an unassailable lead of 3-0 over Danish team. India headed to the second day after Ramkumar

Ramanathan and Yuki Bhambri won their respective singles matches on Friday. The doubles victory on Saturday means India won the five-match series with an unassailable 3-0 lead and sealed their spot in the Davis Cup 2022 World Group I stage.

Later in the day, Ramkumar Ramanathan came back on court in the dead rubber fourth match to play Johannes Ingildsen. Ramanathan rallied to defeat Danish player 5-7, 7-5, 10-7 to take the tie to a 4-0 scoreline in favour of the hosts.

The two-day rubber on the fast grass courts of DGC was the first tie between India and Denmark since September 1984 when the visitors won 3-2 at Aarhus. The only other time both sides faced each other was in 1927 when Denmark blanked India 5-0 in the quarterfinals in Copenhagen.

India have made it to the Davis Cup final thrice - 1966, 1974 and 1987 - but could never won the 'World Cup of Tennis' as the premier international team event is popularly described by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).