Paes on verbal volleys with NZ: We didn’t start the fire

Leander Paes admitted verbally sledging New Zealand’s Simon Rea, but only because home team captain Bruce Derlin started it.Paes, 31, c...

Leander Paes admitted verbally sledging New Zealand’s Simon Rea, but only because home team captain Bruce Derlin started it.

Paes, 31, came from a set down to beat Rae in four sets to give India a 3-2 win in their Asia-Oceania Group 1 tie.

New Zealand looked to be heading for an upset victory after Mark Nielsen locked the tie up at 2-2 all with a straight sets win over Vishal Punna in the first of the reverse singles, and Davis Cup debutant Rea raced to a 3-0 lead over Paes in the first set of the deciding match. Paes said that’s when the taunting started and it was Derlin who shot from the lip first. “The Kiwi captain, who knows I’m four feet away from him when I came back out (on court), said ‘you must be feeling the pressure now’,” Paes said.

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“I thought, ‘all right, boy. You have started the game, so let’s go’.

“It worked to my advantage…. Once that happens, I’m coming at you.”

Paes gained the crucial break in the 12th game of the second set to win it 7-5.

It proved to be the turning point and Paes found it humorous when Derlin complained to the umpire about the gamesmanship at the start of the third set.

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