“I was mentally ready, but physically not good”.
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Somdev has suffered defeats against players, ranked outside 400 (Emilio Gomez, 402) on the Challenger circuit in a very ordinary 2015 season so far but the hard-working Indian has managed to win when it mattered most to the nation. He was pushing me to do more and run around. I could not cope well. Vesely, who achieved the career-best ranking of 35 in April, had beaten world No 21 and serving machine Ivo Karlovic in the US Open second round.
Stating that he would not like to use a few niggles as an excuse, Vesely said: “I was not practicing”. All the guys spurred me on. “Hopefully I will be able to serve well”, he said.
“Before my match, yesterday I saw a couple of videos of Yuki playing where he was beaten by his opponents”. I am disappointed, but have to move on.
Vesley said that he would be speaking to the doctor and physio of the team and try to “find a solution” before Sunday.
The first and the second set were a complete disaster for Yuki, who has grown-up playing on the court.
Lukas Rosol had to fight the crowd, muggy weather and a spirited fightback from Yuki Bhambri to beat the Indian and give the Czech Republic’s tennis team a 1-0 lead in the Davis Cup World Group Playoff here on Friday. Add to that how Yuki Bhambri was dismantled in the tie-opener by Lukas Rosol and there was a sense of pensiveness around the complex.
Despite the adverse conditions, Rosol continued his rampage, winning the first four games of the second set, and nine in a row. He was serving very well and it was important for me to return well. He fired aces – 20 in all – nearly at will. This helped him stage comebacks at crucial junctures of the game. On his upcoming match against Somdev, the Czech laughed and said: “I heard Somdev has never lost here…” The temperature was 31 at the start of the match but neither the conditions nor the game of Yuki proved challenging for the tall Czech, who was ranked as high as 26 previous year around the same time.
It was not as hot and humid as expected at the DLTA where more than 500 people turned up to watch the action.
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But within hours Devvarman, who has to play reverse singles match on tomorrow, not just consoled Bopanna but also displayed the team spirit in his Tweet.
