Davis Cup: Curtains for India

Edmonton: Ramkumar Ramanathan put up a spirited fight in the must-win fourth rubber but that was not enough as Denis Shapovalov took Canada back to the Davis Cup World Group with a comfortable straight set win, here on Sunday.

The failure to convert four set points in the second proved crucial as Shapovalov shut the door on India with a 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-3 win which handed Canada a 3-1 lead.

The onus to keep India alive was on 22-year-old Ramkumar and his defeat means that the country will yet again strive in the Asia/Oceania Group ‘I’ in the 2018 season.

It is fourth straight year that India have not managed to cross the World Group play-offs hurdle, having lost to Serbia, Czech Republic and Spain in previous three attempts.

Canada, who had lost to Great Britain in the first round, in February, go back to elite 16-nation World Group.

Yuki Bhambri will now play the dead fifth rubber against Brayden Schnur.

In a nervous start, Ramkumar lost 11 straight points but gradually the serve and volley strategy helped him negate Shapovalov’s fiery ground strokes.

The Chennai youngster took some time to settle but by the time he controlled the butterflies in his stomach, Shapovalov had gone up 4-1 with a break of serve in the opening set.

It was one-way traffic till the eighth game as the Canadian left-hander lost only three points till he came out to serve out the opening set. Ramkumar tried to serve and volley but Shapovalov was quick with his returns, hardly giving time to the Indian to charge the net finish the points.