Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Saurabh Singh and Yuki Bhambri Wednesday carried the Indian junior Davis Cup team to the knockout stage of the Asia-Oceania Junior Davis Cup, blanking Thailand at the DLTA complex here. The Indians, playing their last Group 3 pool match, won through 3-0 without dropping a set in hot, humid conditions in the national capital.

Saurabh outplayed Chanon Varapongsttikul in the first singles, 6-3,6-1. The Indian youngster’s big serve was the key, though the Thai tried to engage him to long rallies.

Varapongsttikul succeeded to an extent by rallying from the back court, but it was too much for him as Saurabh hustled him with his serve. Yet, to the Thai’s credit, he won three games.

In the second set, Suarabh was in total command and he just conceded one game before wrapping up the match in an hour and 20 minutes.

Bhambri toyed with Adirek Khundanpinitwong winning 6-2,6-1. The Indian was right on top from the moment he broke the Thai’s first service game and never looked like loosening the grip.

Yuki and Saurabh raced through the doubles, winning 6-0, 6-4.

After winning the first set in a jiffy, the Indian pair seemed to have taken things a little easy and the Thai pair, Phasawit Burapharittha and Channon Varapongsttikul, did well to snatch four games.

India seeded four topped their group, thrashing Singapore, Pakistan and Thailand to join Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, China in the quarter-finals.

India now will meet eighth seed China Thursday in their bid to qualify for the World Group.

The top four teams from the zone will make it to the World Group final in Mexico from September 23 to 28