Davis Cup 2026: India Eliminated After 3-1 Defeat to South Korea
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
India’s Davis Cup campaign came to an end after the team suffered a 3-1 defeat to South Korea in the second-round qualifiers in Seoul on Saturday.
The result means India will now enter the first round of the 2027 Davis Cup Qualifiers, while South Korea advanced to the Final 8, which will be held in Bologna, Italy, in November.
India Stay Alive With Doubles Victory
India entered Saturday’s action trailing 2-0 after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal lost their respective singles matches on Friday.
N Sriram Balaji and Dhakshineswar Suresh kept India’s hopes alive by defeating South Korea’s Nam Ji-sung and Park Ui-sung 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the doubles rubber.
The Indian pair made an early impact in the opening set by breaking serve in the fourth game. Although South Korea immediately responded with a break, Balaji and Suresh secured another break in the sixth game before holding serve to take the set.
South Korea levelled the match in the second set after breaking the Indian pair in the sixth game and then holding serve to force a deciding set.
The final set remained closely contested until Balaji and Suresh broke serve in the eighth game. They then held their own serve to complete the victory and keep India’s qualification hopes alive.
Kwon Soon-woo Seals South Korea’s Victory
India’s comeback hopes ended in the following singles rubber when world No. 157 Kwon Soon-woo defeated India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal, ranked No. 247, 6-1, 6-2.
Nagal held serve in the opening game, but Kwon Soon-woo responded by breaking him in each of the next three games to take control of the first set.
The second set was more competitive, but Kwon again found crucial breaks in the sixth and eighth games to close out the match and secure South Korea’s place in the Davis Cup Final 8.
India’s Davis Cup Record
India have finished as Davis Cup runners-up three times, in 1966, 1974 and 1987.
However, the team is yet to reach the Final 8 under the competition’s current format and will now prepare for the opening round of the 2027 Davis Cup Qualifiers.
