Nadal along with his Rio Olympics gold medalist partner Marc Lopez defeated Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 in the doubles rubber to complete his mission. The win gave Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Playoff and ensures a return to the World Group next year.
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Wheezing on a humid evening, Nagal surrendered a 3-0 lead in the third set to go down 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 in just over two hours. The old warhorse was playing in his 54th Davis Cup tie and was just one win shy of becoming the most successful doubles player in the history of the competition.
Leander Paes, who was looking for a record win in doubles in Davis Cup, asked the crowd for a standing ovation for the Spaniards.
Myneni then held off a strong fightback by the visitors in the next game to hold serve as the Indians won the opening set.
“I have been saying, again and again, it is really important for Spain to get back into the World Group with so many top 50 players”. The tie already in the pocket of five-time Davis Cup champions, they chose to field Marc in place of Feliciano Lopez while India handed debut to Nagal.
India’s Leander Paes, left, celebrates a point with teammate Saketh Myneni during the Davis Cup world group play-off against Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez in New Delhi. The 14-time Grand Slam victor managed to save one break point, put Paes return in the next rally sliced between him and Lopez as the crowd burst into celebrations.
The fact that Paes and Saketh, playing for the first time together, pushed the Olympic champions to play their best tennis, was a double treat for the tennis fans who thronged the stadium.
With the reverse singles being reduced to three-set affairs, Lopez took all of three sets before winning the match that was not only a test of fitness and nerves but also swung from one side to the other.
It seemed like a good combination in making for India as Myeni supported Paes very well in the match. Though he had a poor first set, losing 3-6 but he came back strongly to stun his senior opponent 6-1 to draw the parity.
The visitors lost first point on their serve in the sixth when Myneni hit a service return forehand victor off Nadal.
The last time Lopez played a singles match on the Tour was in 2014 at Barcelona and that was only singles he played on the Tour that year.
The Indians fought back in the third set and took the break in the second game as Nadal hit his serve twice into the net.
He had saved three break chances before the trainer was called.
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After saving two breakpoints, Saketh put a volley out to face the third breakpoint and Nadal smacked an overhead to seal the break.
