Somdev Devvarman tamed Ti Chen after a gruelling contest while Rohan Bopanna combined with Saketh Myneni to win the doubles rubber to give India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie against Chinese Taipei here today.
Somdev today needed just eight minutes to complete the unfinished business as he beat Chen 6-7 (4) 7-6 (3) 1-6 6-2 9-7 in the second singles, which could not be completed yesterday due to bad light.
Beginning the day at tied 7-7 in the fifth set, Somdev played attacking tennis, served well, hit the ball hard, found the lines and was able to pin Chen on the baseline to set up easy put away volleys.
This was exactly what Chen was doing to Somdev yesterday. The change in tactics was rewarding for the Indian as he broke Chen in the 16th game, albeit, after squandering two more match points. He had missed four chances yesterday to close the match.
Finally, Somdev clinched the issue on his seventh match point when Chen hit one wide. Overall, the contest lasted four hours and 40 minutes over two days.
It was the third meeting between Somdev and Chen. The Indian had beaten Chen in an away Davis Cup tie in 2009 and then at the Asian Games the next year.
Later, Bopanna and debutant Myneni brushed aside the challenge of Hsien-Yin Peng and Tsing Hua Yang 6-0 6-7(3) 6-3 7-6 (2) in two hours and 21 minutes to render tomorrow's reverse singles inconsequential.
