Bhambri upsets Istomin in dead rubber
April 8th, 2012 - 8:15 pm ICT by IANS
Namangan (Uzbekistan), April 8 (IANS) India won the two dead rubbers to lose the Davis Cup Group I tie against Uzbekistan 2-3 here Sunday, when 295th ranked Yuki Bhambri upset World No. 43 Denis Istomin in the reverse singles.
Bhambri defeated Istomin 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 after a two-hour-39-minute battle at the Pahlavon Sport Complex. It was Istomin’s first loss at home in six years.
Rohan Bopanna, playing the fifth match as a replacement for Sanam Singh, got the better of Sarvar Ikramov 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 for a consolation win. Sanam was ruled out for the match as he is suffering from chicken pox.
The experienced doubles pair of Bopanna and Leander Paes were stunned by Istomin and Murad Inoyatov Saturday, ensuring a sixth World Group play-off for Uzbekistan in September. Uzbekistan have never made the 16-nation elite group since since they joined Davis Cup in 1994.
India, on the other hand, stay in Asia Oceania Group 1 for at least a year and play New Zealand in September.
The visitors lost the tie on the second day for the first time since the World Group play-off against the Netherlands in 2003.
In the opening day Friday, debutant Sanam lost to Istomin while Bhambri went down to Farrukh Dustov.
- Davis Cup: Uzbekistan take 3-0 lead against India - Apr 07, 2012
- India relegated to Group II after Davis Cup loss (Lead) - Apr 07, 2012
- Davis Cup: Uzbekistan take 2-0 lead against India - Apr 06, 2012
- Mahesh Bhupathi opts out of Davis Cup tie - Mar 06, 2012
- Davis Cup: Sugita gives Japan 1-0 lead against India - Sep 16, 2011
- Davis Cup: Bopanna loses to Nishikori, India trail 0-2 - Sep 16, 2011
- Bopanna-Qureshi in French Open quarterfinals - May 30, 2011
- Davis Cup: Bopanna-Somdev lose in doubles - Mar 06, 2011
- Bhupathi-Bopanna clear first hurdle at Wimbledon - Jun 27, 2012
- Yuki skips Moscow Davis Cup tie, Sanam comes in - Feb 18, 2010
- US Open: Injured Paes withdraws from mixed doubles - Sep 09, 2011
- Paes to miss Davis Cup tie against Japan - Sep 13, 2011
- Davis Cup: Yuki gives India 1-0 lead - Sep 14, 2012
- Paes-Stepanek, Bhupathi-Bopanna knocked out of Wimbledon - Jul 04, 2012
- Bopanna-Qureshi crash out of US Open men's doubles semis - Sep 10, 2011
Tags: asia oceania, chicken pox, consolation, davis cup, debutant, denis istomin, elite group, leander paes, match, murad, opening day, rohan bopanna, rubbers, sanam singh, sarvar, six years, sport complex, uzbekistan, world group, yuki bhambri