PUNE: A lanky Ramkumar Ramanathan was fluent in his win over Finn Tearney while Yuki Bhambri struggled past Jose Statham as India completed an emphatic 4-1 victory over New Zealand in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie, here today.
Ramkumar sealed the tie for the hosts by thumping Tearney 7-5 6-1 6-0 in two hours in the fourth rubber before Yuki won the dead fifth rubber against Statham 7-5 3-6 6-4 in one hour and 55 minutes.
India now play second round tie at home in April against Uzbekistan, who got past South Korea in their first round away tie.
The 22-year-old from Chennai, with a singles world ranking of 276, was lifted shoulder high by all his team members after his superb show and the entire team made a lap of the stadium with the Indian tricolor.
The resounding victory for India also signaled the end of Anand Amritraj’s three-year reign as the team captain as he will be replaced by Mahesh Bhupathi for the second round tie against Uzbekistan. (AGENCIES)
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