Sumit Nagal puts up a valiant fight as India go down 0-2 to South Korea in the Davis Cup

India ended the opening day of their Davis Cup 2nd Qualifier match against South Korea 0-2 after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal lost their singles matches in Seoul on Friday.

The tie is being played at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center, with both nations aiming to become the first Asian team to secure a spot in the Davis Cup Final 8 under the current format. India entered the play-offs after impressive wins over Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Suresh had an opportunity to give India an early advantage against South Korea’s top-ranked singles Soonwoo Kwon. The Indian started brightly but Kwon fought back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to hand the hosts the first tie-break point.

SURESH STARTS OFF WITH CONFIDENCE BEFORE KWON REBOUNDS

Suresh looked in control early on, using deep returns and aggressive net play to trouble Kwon. He secured an early break and built a 3-0 advantage before eventually taking the opening set 6-3.

But Kwon adjusted his tactics in the second set. The South Korean started to serve wider and repeatedly aimed at Suresh’s backhand. His deeper returns also prevented the Indian from dictating points in the same way he did in the opening set.

Kwon eventually secured a break to take a 4-2 lead and went on to take the second set 6-3. The South Korean carried that momentum into the decider, breaking Suresh in the fifth game before closing out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

The defeat put India under immediate pressure, with Nagal needing to beat former World No. 19 Hyeon Chung in the second singles to stay level on the opening day.

NAGAL FIGHTS BUT CHUNG HOLDS HER NERVES

Nagal got off to an excellent start against Chung, winning the opening set 6-2. The Indian’s aggressive baseline play put Chung under pressure, while the slow conditions in Seoul made the match physically demanding. South Korea had prepared a slower court, with the surface expected to slow down the pace and challenge India’s key singles players.

Chung, who reached the semi-finals of the 2018 Australian Open, responded in the second set. The Korean found more rhythm and consistency to take the set 6-4 and force a decider.

The final set turned into a tense battle. Nagal was down 4-1 but refused to give up. The Indian battled back to level the scores at 5-5, forcing Chung out again.

However, the experienced Korean kept his nerve in the decisive phase. Chung secured a break in the 11th game and then served out the match to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Nagal spoke before the match about the tough conditions and his knowledge of Chung, having trained with him and previously played doubles with the Korean.

India now face a must-win doubles match on Saturday. Jisung Nam and Uisung Park are set to take on N Sriram Balaji and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha. If India lose this match, South Korea will take a 3-0 lead and win the tie.

The remaining schedule also features Nagal vs. Kwon and Chung vs. Suresh. India need to win all three remaining rubbers to overcome the 0-2 deficit and keep their Final 8 hopes alive.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

18 Sep 2026 17:29 IST