Non-playing captain plays his role to perfection

It’s a funny feeling, this intuition. It makes you work one way, and then the other.

It’s a funny feeling, this intuition. It makes you work one way, and then the other. Gut feeling told non-playing captain Leander Paes that Rohan Bopanna—his protagonist at the Davis Cup Group tie against Uzbekistan—would keep India from going 3-1 up with a rubber still in hand. He said that Prakash Amritraj had been saved for just this reason.

And whether or not Prakash did indulge in a little tipple as rumours go, when the champagne bottle popped on Sunday after 3-2 Indian victory, Prakash was ironically the reason for euphoric celebrations. Prakash came out trumps against Uzbek’s No.2 Farrukh Dustov after Denis Istomin rallied from two sets down to beat Rohan 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 8-6 just as he had promised to do a day before.

Prakash started well earning points on his service, and served and volleyed for early points. A jostle for supremacy was on and it became apparent as early as in the second game. At 0-15, Farrukh double faulted, and after a double-handed backhand pass, Prakash earned three breakpoints. The game didn’t end until eight deuces later Farrukh sent a screaming ace to hold service.

Prakash, though, persisted. At 4-3, he finally broke Farrukh on serve in the first. At 2-2 in the second, Prakash broke Farrukh again only for the Uzbek to return the favour in the very next game, and then again at 5-3, to go 6-3 up. Amritraj junior’s service was broken three times on the trot with his points at the net percentage taking a nose-dive. When he managed to gain some control in the next, he was thumping the grass with his fist in ecstasy.

While the Uzbek sought medical attention to his right thigh, Leander Paes worked on getting a point across to Prakash—to play his natural game, move closer to the net and finish points early with clean chips. Prakash was probably also reminded of what his father and legendary Vijay Amritraj had said to him in the locker room—champions take their chances and pressure is a privilege (originally a text message from Billie Jean King to Maria Sharapova during the Australian Open). Prakash switched gears, broke Farrukh twice again and collapsed in disbelief to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.

Denis Istomin outlasted Rohan Bopanna—he double-faulted seven time. In fitness, energy and movement, the Uzbek remained unaffected despite a three-hour-10-minute-long duel. Istomin, like Rohan, played on all days of the tie.

Istomin had a lot going against him. Down by two games, he was at the receiving end of some bad line calls, broke his racquet in frustration only to use another with faulty strings for want of a spare, had the crowd rooting against him and still came out unscathed. But it was his splits that drew much appreciation, and some points.