Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Having passed on the reverse singles duty to Sanam Singh,Somdev Devvarman was looking forward to a relaxed Sunday. His plan was to have a late breakfast with his family and catch up with a few friends before dropping by at the KSLTA stadium to cheer Sanam and Yuki Bhambri on the final but inconsequential day of the Davis Cup tie. The only stressful thought on his mind was to pack his bags for an evening flight to Houston,where he begins his clay court season at a Challenger event on Monday.
But barely an hour before the fourth rubber was scheduled to start,he got an SOS call from the India captain,SP Misra. It said: Dont forget to bring your tennis bag to the stadium. With Sanam nursing a sore wrist,Devvarmans services were required for the dead rubber against Indonesia.
While Devvarman took time before hitting his stride,Bhambri came prepared and decimated Wisnu Adi Nugroho 6-0 6-1 to whitewash the visitors. The 5-0 win was a fitting send off Misra,who sat courtside for the last time as team captain. It also brought relief to Zeeshan Ali,who had made his way back into the Davis Cup side as coach in the midst of a tumultuous time at the last tie. Misra,who had been Indias captain for the past five years and led the side to World Group twice,said it was the most ideal farewell he couldve asked for.
