Serving for the first set at 5-3, Leander Paes double faulted twice and his 18-year-old Uzbek rival Farrukh Dostov seized the initiative. With the opening set of the India-Uzbekistan Davis Cup tie subsequently going to a tie-breaker, there hung a couple of question marks over Paes’ decision to play the singles.At 31, was he fit enough to play singles? Was he regretting pushing out the team’s top ranked singles player Harsh Mankad? But soon enough there was a common answer to both the queries: a big No.It was vintage Paes all over again. Pumping his fists, pointing fingers in every direction, slapping high-fives with Harsh Mankad — who sat to next to him during changeover in the coach’s chair — it was tough to decide who among the two was still in teens.Doubting Paes in a Davis Cup proved foolhardy as he won the tie-breaker 7-4 and things became easier after that as he won the next two sets 6-3, 6-0.With Leander showing the way, Prakash Amritraj followed suit. Playing the second singles against Denis Istomin after a glitch at the start of the first set won 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. That means all India need to do now is to win the doubles tomorrow and take an unassailable 3-0 lead.Paes admitted later that it wasn’t easy in the first set. ‘‘I was playing singles after almost two years. Singles is completely different from doubles, so the range of shots is also different. At 5-3 in first set, I was just concentrating on getting my serves in,’’ he told The Indian Express.Of the two doubles faults he said, ‘‘I tried for speed but ended up double faulting. It happens in tennis. It is all a mental thing. What I believe is, if you are mentally ahead, your opponent, however good, is bound to crack up.’’Coach Nandan Bal said that the pressure was definitely a factor. ‘‘I guess he was just trying to find his rhythm in the first set, and once he got it, there was no stopping him. Once he realised that he didn’t have to try so hard, things got easy,’’ he said.Leander emphasised the fact that having Harsh next to him too made a huge difference. ‘‘With his chin high and in upbeat mood he was a big support.’’Talking about his opponent Leander said, ‘‘It is incredible how that guy’s serve just fell apart. He was brilliant in the first set, then all of sudden he was nowhere.’’ But he admitted that his own form was also responsible for his opponent’s falling standard. ‘‘‘After the first set, he could have done anything — even cartwheel — and it wouldn’t have mattered.’’
