India suffered a difficult opening day in the Davis Cup 2026 Qualifiers, falling 0-2 behind South Korea after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal both surrendered one-set leads in Seoul on Friday.
The two singles matches were closely contested, but South Korea produced stronger finishes on a slow, low-bouncing hard court at the Olympic Tennis Centre. With the hosts now needing just one more victory from the remaining three rubbers, India face a major challenge to keep their Final 8 hopes alive.
Soonwoo Kwon Overcomes Dhakshineswar Suresh
World No. 367 Dhakshineswar Suresh made an impressive start against Soonwoo Kwon, taking the opening set 6-3.
Suresh immediately broke Kwon’s serve and used his powerful first serve to control the early exchanges. An ace helped the Indian close out the first set and put pressure on the Korean player.
However, Soonwoo Kwon gradually adjusted to the conditions. The Korean widened his serving patterns and began hitting deeper from the baseline, forcing Suresh into errors. Kwon also became increasingly effective on return as the match progressed.
Suresh’s first-serve percentage dropped in the second set, while Kwon remained highly efficient behind his first delivery. The Korean eventually levelled the match and carried the momentum into the decider.
Kwon secured the crucial break in the third set before holding his nerve to complete a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory. The result ended Suresh’s four-match unbeaten run in Davis Cup competition.
Sumit Nagal Falls in Three-Set Battle
India’s top-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, also came close to putting India on the board against former world No. 19 Hyeon Chung.
Nagal made a fast start and took the opening set 6-2. He also held a 4-3 lead with a break in the second set, putting himself in a strong position to move within one set of victory.
But Chung fought back with aggressive baseline tennis and rediscovered the shotmaking that had previously helped him defeat elite opponents. The Korean recovered the break and levelled the match by taking the second set 6-4.
The deciding set produced another dramatic contest. Chung moved ahead 4-1, but Nagal refused to give up. The Indian won three consecutive games to level the set at 4-4 and briefly put the pressure back on Chung.
The Korean eventually regained control and closed out a gruelling three-hour, six-minute contest 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Nagal acknowledged afterward that he had opportunities to finish the match earlier but was unable to convert them.
India Now Face a Must-Win Day 2
The 0-2 scoreline leaves India with little room for error in the remaining Davis Cup matches.
Experienced doubles player N Sriram Balaji and late entrant Niki Poonacha are scheduled to lead India’s response on Saturday against Uisung Park and Jisung Nam. The doubles rubber will be followed by the reverse singles if required.
The tie is being played over two days in Seoul, with the winner advancing to the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November.
India entered the tie ranked 19th in the Davis Cup standings, while South Korea were ranked 16th.
After two heartbreaking singles defeats, India will need to adapt not only to the slow conditions but also to the physical demands of the tie if they are to mount a comeback.
Davis Cup India vs South Korea: Key Results
- Soonwoo Kwon def. Dhakshineswar Suresh: 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Hyeon Chung def. Sumit Nagal: 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
- South Korea lead: 2-0
- Venue: Olympic Tennis Centre, Seoul
- Surface: Hard court
- Next: Doubles and reverse singles on Saturday
India’s Davis Cup campaign is now on the brink, with South Korea one win away from securing their place in the Final 8.
Leave a Reply