India defeated Morocco 4-1 as Rohan Bopanna finished his Davis Cup career with a victory
Amidst thunderous acclaim, a 43-year-old veteran lays his India jersey in the middle of the court in a moving gesture.
Rohan Bopanna may not have felt comfortable playing his farewell match at the third tier of the primary team competition as a 20-year Davis Cup veteran with 33 ties and 50 matches under his belt, some against top opposition like Serbia and Brazil.
The 43-year-old, who endured the oppressive Lucknow humidity to compete in India’s World Group 2 match against Morocco to say goodbye to the Davis Cup, didn’t see it that way, though. “If I ever thought that (not playing in World Group 2), I would never be here,” he had said to the reporters before the match on Friday. No matter the level, every tie representing India is a proud moment.
And Bopanna truly experienced that last second. Sasikumar Mukund’s loss in the opening match—his first in a competition—put India in a precarious position on Day 1, and they finished the day tied 1–1. However, in his final Davis Cup match on Sunday, Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri routinely destroyed the Moroccan duo of Elliot Benchetrit and Younes Lalami Laaroussi 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour, giving India a lead they never let slip afterward. Sumit Nagal and second debutant Digvijay Pratap Singh completed the 4-1 victory that returned them to the World Group 1 playoffs.
Although it wasn’t necessary, Bopanna and Yuki didn’t seem to be entirely in sync. The disparity in skill was immediately obvious as Yuki’s ability to return the ball, particularly on the backhand side, and Bopanna’s big-serve and forehand combo, were sufficient to defeat the substantially lower rated competition.
The outcome seemed academic; the event was more about witnessing a milestone in Bopanna’s career than it was about winning or losing. Bopanna is one of the more understated modern Indian tennis veterans whose longevity and consistency have kept the nation’s representation at the top level of the sport even during one of its most barren periods in history.
Bopanna, who is not one to indulge in jingoism or excessive sentimentality, would mark the occasion with a touching gesture, bringing his India jersey and laying it to rest in the middle of the court to raucous applause from a Lucknow crowd that turned out for the doubles veteran despite the match’s lackluster attendance on Saturday.
On a day when Bopanna, who is typically cool, seemed to lose his composure, his family and friends showed up in large numbers and celebrated. They were easily identifiable in the t-shirts bearing the image of Bopanna holding the Tricolour.
He added in a press conference on Sunday that he was “proud to have played” while also feeling sad to be departing the Davis Cup team. “Seeing my family and being surrounded by all the lovely people was definitely emotional. The two weeks off [during Davis Cup] will be spent with the family for the time being, but I will still be rooting for them.
Simple outing
Bopanna, 43, did travel into Lucknow after barely losing the US Open men’s doubles final, thus the first and last points of the match showcased all of his doubles prowess.
He dominated the first serve of the match and then saved a break point in the first game itself with a brilliant forehand crosscourt. Yuki and Bopanna would secure the victory after an hour of mediocre tennis and a string of errors from Laaroussi and Benchetrit, before the celebration of his time with the Indian team began. He has not yet had a chance to reflect on that time.
There were “so many things happening,” he said. These days, the selfie always makes an appearance first. Even in 2017, following his lone Grand Slam victory in the mixed doubles at the French Open, I was only able to recall every minute on the flight. Only when you have had some time to reflect do the ideas occur to you. And I have no doubt that I’ll give it some thought eventually.
Rohit Rajpal, the non-playing captain of India, outlined what the Davis Cup squad will be missing. Not just in doubles, but to everyone, he is looked up to. He said at the press conference that the club benefits from his exposure to bigger games and events.
The veteran provided some insight into how Yuki’s game suited his own, despite the fact that India’s doubles combination wasn’t at its best on Sunday and a decision hasn’t been made regarding Bopanna’s partner for the next Asian Games.
“I can place my large frame in front when he makes such returns. They were attempting to hit harder when that occurred today, but they missed. That was the key, he claimed.
Sumit Nagal, the only player from either team to be ranked in the top 300 in singles, demonstrated his prowess by thrashing Yassine Dlimi 6-3, 6-3 in the final match of the day to secure the tie for India.
Nagal’s physicality and defensive skills were a match for Dlimi’s robust but error-prone game, which was centered on his massive forehand. The Moroccan did complicate a few games, but Nagal was able to rise to the occasion to seize the initiative. He was also tactically astute, focusing on his opponent’s second serve and only allowing him to win half the points with that shot. Later, both teams opted to play the final dead rubber, which was won by Singh in a super tiebreaker against Walid Ahouda of Morocco, who was making his debut, 6-1, 5-6, [10-6].
