Sumit Nagal falters again as India suffer 1-3 defeat to South Korea in Davis Cup

India’s hopes of reaching the Davis Cup 8 final for the first time under the new format were revived by Dhakshineswar Suresh and N Sriram Balaji, but Sumit Nagal could not complete the comeback as South Korea beat India 3-1 in Seoul on Saturday.

0-2 after the opening singles gameIndia needed to win both the matches on Day 2 to keep their campaign alive. Suresh and Balaji played when it mattered as they beat Ji Sung Nam and Uisung Park 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in a tense doubles match to lead India to their only win in a historic qualifier.

The Indian team made a change before the doubles, replacing Niki Poonacha with Suresh, who was paired with the experienced Balaji in a do-or-die affair.

SURESH, BALAJI KEEP INDIA ALIVE

This decision paid off immediately as the Indians came out aggressively and repeatedly put pressure on Nam’s serve. They created four break chances in one game before the Koreans finally came through, with Balaji creating the winning volley to secure the breakthrough.

Balaji was particularly confident on serve, while Suresh complemented him with aggressive returns and sharp play at the net. India carried that momentum into the opening set, closing it out 6-3.

The Koreans responded in the second set, tightening up their service games and making fewer errors. The breakthrough came when Balaji was broken after Nam’s winner and a double fault gave South Korea the advantage. Nam consolidated the break and Korea leveled the match.

The judging was tense, with neither pair willing to give away easy points. However, Suresh and Balaji kept up the pressure and finally broke Nam at love in the eighth game.

The Koreans pulled India to 30-30 when Balaji served for the match. But Suresh produced two decisive winners in a row, including a convincing shot to seal a memorable victory and reduce the deficit to 1-2.

India had a chance. Nagal had to take it.

KWON SENDS NAGALA AND INDIA WORKS

Instead, Nagal endured a forgettable reverse singles match against Soonwoo Kwon, losing 1-6, 2-6 to earn South Korea a tie.

The Korean, who is ranked 157 in the world compared to 247 Nagal, was in control from the opening exchanges. He dictated play from the baseline and repeatedly forced Nagal into the defensive.

Nagal showed plenty of resilience in his three-hour battle against Hyeon Chung on the opening day, but there was no sign of that intensity against Kwon. The Indian struggled to find his rhythm as the Korean breezed through the first set 6-1.

Nagal tried to raise the bar in the second, but Kwon continued to dictate the pace. The Korean did not allow his opponent to keep pressure and closed the match 6-2.

The win made South Korea the first Asian team to reach the knockout stages of the Davis Cup since the competition’s format was revamped.

It was a bitter end for India to a campaign that had promised more after an earlier win over the Netherlands. In 2027, they will return to qualifying round 1.

The draw could also mark the end of Rohit Rajpal’s tenure as India captain, with his contract running until December 2026 and no extension announced yet.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

19 Sep 2026 13:10 IST