India vs Norway Day1 LIVE – Norway leads 2-0 against India – It was not the start that India wanted as both Ramkumar Ramanathan and Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost their respective singles matches against Norway’s Viktor Durasovic and World No.2 Casper Ruud on Friday. Casper Ruud defeated Prajnesh 6-1, 6-4, while Durasovic too claimed an identical victory against a higher-ranked Ramkumar Ramanathan. India now has to win all their remaining matches on Saturday to win the Group I tie against Norway. Follow India vs Norway Davis Cup LIVE updates
India vs Norway Day1 LIVE: Norway in driver’s seat as Casper Ruud & Viktor Durasovic clinch victories in singles to take 2-0 lead against India in Davis Cup tie – Check Day1 Highlights
India vs Norway Day 1 Results
Casper Ruud BEAT Prajnesh Gunneswaran – 6-1, 6-4
Viktor Durasovic BEAT Ramkumar Ramanathan – 6-1, 6-4
As expected, Casper Ruud gave a rousing start to the contest as he played the first singles match against India’s Prajnesh Gunneswaran who is ranked 335th in the world. The Norwegian dominated the proceedings as he broke the Indian’s first two service game to take 4-0 lead in the first set quite comfortably. He also held on to his next service game and was looking to break Gunneswaran for the third time in a row to achieve a bagel set. However the Indian who was trailing 30-15 served two brilliant aces to take the score 40-15 in the set and then was able hold on to his serve for the first time as Ruud committed an unforced error. Ruud then clinched the first set after holding holding his next service game.
DAVIS CUP: NORWAY 1, INDIA 0
World No.2 Casper Ruud asserted his class as he breezed past Prajnesh Gunneswaran
Prajnesh put up a strong fight in the 2nd set, but Ruud was too good in the end
[Rubber 1] Casper Ruud(🇳🇴,2) d. Prajnesh Gunneswaran(🇮🇳,335) 6-1 6-4 pic.twitter.com/fFk2kMTZGC
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) September 16, 2022
In the second set, Prajnesh was able to improve his game and did a good job of staying in the rally. He managed to hold on to his first serve but eventually conceded his second service game as Ruud took a 2-1 lead. Prajnesh however lifted his game and though he could not manage to get a break against Ruud, he ensured he did not conceded another break in the set as Ruud went on to win the set 6-4 and sealed the tie in Norway’s favour.
India was expected to make a comeback with Ramkumar Ramanathan taking on a lesser ranked Viktor Durasovic in the second singles tie, however things went awry for the Indian No.1 as Durasovic dominated the contest right from the beginning. The Norwegian got the break in the fourth game to take 3-1 lead in the set. From then on he didn’t allow the Indian to make a comeback as he went on to win the next three successive games to take the opening set.
In the second set too he started off by breaking Ramanathan in the third game to take 2-1 lead. From then on he ensured that he held on to his serves as he closed out the tie with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. With his victory, Norway now needs just one more win to reach the qualifiers.
India vs Norway Day1 LIVE: Norway in driver’s seat as Casper Ruud & Viktor Durasovic clinch victories in singles to take 2-0 lead against India in Davis Cup tie – Check Day1 Highlights