Yuki delivers smash-hit debut

“The Davis Cup is way different from any other tournament. I played better,more freely after Somdev won us the tie,and my debut match was all about getting the best out of myself,” said Yuki at a press conference after arriving from Johannesburg.

“It was great to win my first Davis Cup match. It’s an honour to play for your country and I enjoy being part of a team. I reached South Africa on Tuesday and was practicing everyday with my team mates on the same courts,so I was ready to play a match. At the US Open,I wasn’t expecting to play indoors,that’s why I had trouble there,” he reiterated.

Sitting on the sidelines cheering on Somdev and Rohan Bopanna from the time they began India’s victory journey on Friday,Yuki soaked in the Davis Cup atmosphere,and there would have been a time when he felt as though his chance wouldn’t come in this tie. When Somdev was two sets and a break down on Sunday,Rohan Bopanna left courtside to begin his warm-up for a potential decisive rubber,as Wesley Moodie did the same for the visitors. But following the brief festivities after India made it 3-1,Yuki was ready for his turn.

Coach Nandan Bal said there was no doubt that Yuki would be an integral part of the team in a couple of years. “We shouldn’t forget that he played a dead rubber,but even so,he showed a lot of heart and played brilliantly. There’s no doubt that in a year or two,he will be playing Davis Cup regularly,” said Bal.

“The way Yuki played was a revelation to me. His approach to the game was very good,and he fought back from a tough situation. He is a newcomer and a debut is always tough. But he handled the situation admirably,” said Mishra.

Making the four-member team after the withdrawal of Leander Paes,Yuki’s call-up marked another happy chapter in his 2009 tennis calendar. There’s still a lot more work to be done,though,and from Tuesday it’ll be back to the grind of tournament play as the Delhi player looks to rise even higher than his current 415 on the men’s tour.

He will be playing two Futures events in India before going to Hong Kong for a tennis exhibition alongside legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.