Dhakshineswar Suresh Strikes Again! India Pull Level In Davis Cup Tie Vs Netherlands

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 00:41 IST

Dhakshineswar Suresh levels Davis Cup tie for India by beating Jesper de Jong after Sumit Nagal's defeat, setting up a crucial doubles match.

25-year-old Dhakshineswar Suresh, emerging as a crucial player in India’s Davis Cup plans, once again proved his mettle by beating Dutch number one Jesper de Jong in a battle of big servers.

This victory levelled the Qualifiers Round 1 tie 1-1 against the Netherlands on Saturday, February 7.

Ranked as low as 465, Dhakshineswar outplayed world No. 88 de Jong, preventing India from falling further behind after Sumit Nagal’s earlier defeat in the opening singles.

The victory reinforced Dhakshineswar’s reputation as a reliable Davis Cup player, following his match-winning performance against a higher-ranked opponent from Switzerland last year.

India had trailed after Nagal’s strong comeback from a poor start was not enough, losing 0-6, 6-4, 3-6 to the Netherlands’ Guy de Ouden in a two-hour-and-28-minute match.

Nagal struggled in the opening set as De Ouden dominated, dropping just one point on his serve and wrapping it up in 38 minutes, repeatedly pushing Nagal behind the baseline with deep returns.

The Indian fought back in the second set, improving his serve and converting a crucial break to equalise, but De Ouden broke at key moments in the final set, serving out the match for a 1-0 lead for the Netherlands.

Under pressure to keep India in the tie, Dhakshineswar delivered a composed performance against de Jong, who had yet to secure a win this season.

Both players served strongly in the opening set, keeping points short, before Dhakshineswar seized his opportunity late on to take the lead. He displayed similar composure in the second set, saving an early break point and capitalising on de Jong’s faltering serve at a crucial stage to bag the victory.

In a match where the players kept points short and avoided long rallies early on, Dhakshineswar began to apply pressure when de Jong served to stay in the opening set, forcing errors and converting his third set point to take the lead.

The Indian maintained his composure in the second set, saving a break point in the third game with a strong rally before taking advantage of de Jong’s faltering serve at a crucial stage.

The Dutchman committed two double faults while serving to stay in the set, and Dhakshineswar sealed the win with a blistering forehand winner on the run.

The tie is now evenly poised at 1-1.

Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji will face Sander Arends and David Pel in the doubles on Sunday. The reverse singles will follow the doubles match.

The winner of the tie will advance to Qualifiers Round 2 in September, while the losing team will compete in World Group I.

Earlier, Nagal struggled in the first set. The Dutchman held serve without losing a point in the opening game and immediately put Nagal under pressure.

From 40-0 up, Nagal lost his serve with two double faults and a series of unforced errors as De Ouden’s deep returns exposed the weaknesses in Nagal’s strokes.

By keeping points short and reading the conditions well, De Ouden mixed his game smartly, even using serve-and-volley to open up a 3-0 lead. Nagal faltered again in his next service game, conceding several break points through forehand errors.

A cross-court backhand sailing long on the second break chance gave De Ouden a commanding 4-0 lead.

Serving to stay in the set, Nagal saved one set point but surrendered the next, losing 0-6 in front of the home crowd.

Nagal showed greater resolve in the second set, holding serve at love early and finding better rhythm on his serve to control the points. The set stayed on serve until the seventh game, when De Ouden faced sustained pressure for the first time.

After squandering three break points, Nagal finally converted his fourth, attacking De Ouden’s second serve to force a volley error and earn a crucial break. Buoyed by the breakthrough, Nagal held serve at love for a 5-3 lead and closed out the set to draw parity.

The deciding set was tense. Nagal was broken in the second game after missing a forehand volley while rushing the net. Though he earned five break points later, converting one to stay in the contest, De Ouden struck back at the crucial moment.

A stunning backhand passing winner earned De Ouden a decisive break, which was sealed when Nagal netted a backhand volley while trying to finish the point early.

(With PTI Inputs)

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