Davis Cup: Sugita stuns Somdev to put Japan ahead

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Yuichi Sugita produced an amazing mix of scintillating power and precision to outwit India's No.1 Somdev Devvarman 6-3,6-4,7-5 and give Japan a 1-0 lead on the opening day of their Davis Cup World Group play-off here Friday.

Rohan Bopanna will be playing the second singles against Japan No.1 Kei Nishikori to try and put India on an even keel.

Sugita, the lowest ranked among the Japanese team at 175, was the surprise pick for the opening singles, but the youngster vindicated his captain Eiji Takeuchi's confidence.

Egged on by a sizeable crowd in hot conditions, the 22-year-old not only lived up to his promise by stunning a the Indian who is a Tour regular and ranked 65th but in fact, reduced the contest into a one-sided affair.

Sugita, who had lost to the Indian in their only previous meeting at the Aptos Challenger last year, served with purpose and was not broken even once over the two and a half hour battle. Astonishingly, he won all critical games at love.

The only time his serve came under pressure was in the fourth game of the first set when he was down 30-40 but wriggled out with ease.

Sugita, who celebrates his 23rd birthday Sunday, pounced aggressively on the returns. He was clearly an ace up against the Indian, anticipating well and unleashing his well-directed grounstrokes, especially the forehand shots, that invariably left the Indian stranded at the baseline.

The sheer pace and depth of the Sugita's strokes forced Somdev helplessly pushing his returns short for the Japanese to hit winners unerringly.

Somdev also struggled with his first serve and hi shoulder seemed to trouble him. He took a medical time-out in the third game of the third set and again needed treatment during the changeover before the last game of the match.

Sugita, too, suffered cramps in the third set but stuck it out to see the match through.

The Japanese needed just a break each in the three sets to make sure that there is no coming back by the Indian.

Sugita had early breaks in the first two sets to go 3-1 up. He hardly allowed any room for Somdev to extend the rallies. His punishing his forehand gave him quick opportunities to finish off the points.

Somdev did try to shift gears by attacking Japanese's forehand and also came to the net, but Sugita was simply irrepressible.

He confidently went for the lines and produced some breathtaking angles to keep up the pressure.

Somdev did put up a fight in the third set but in the eleventh game at 15-30, Sugita produced two stunning forehand winners to earn a break point.

A shanked forehand return from the Indian gave him the break and Sugita served out the match without losing a point.