By IANS
New Delhi : Twenty-two-year-old Davis Cup debutant Somdev Dev Varman would have played the fifth rubber in the Asian-Oceania Zone Group I tie had Rohan Bopanna won his match against Uzbek No.1 Denis Istomin and sealed the tie Sunday.
The fifth match, which Prakash Amritraj was slated to play, at one stage headed for a dead rubber, with Bopanna surging ahead by two sets to nil against Istomin.
At that point, Amritraj in a goodwill gesture went to non-playing captain Leander Paes and told him that Varman should play the fifth rubber.
“Leander wanted me to play the fifth match, but with Rohan looked all set to seal the tie, I felt if it has to be a dead rubber, let Som play it. His playing would have been good for the team.”
Amritraj, who was seen in an intense conversation with Paes during the Bopanna-Istomin match, told IANS that he was very keen that Varman gained more experience by playing the second singles.
“The Davis Cup is not about personal glory. Whenever I am required to play for my team, I will always be there,” he added.
However, with Istomin turning the tide by levelling the tie 2-2, Amritraj said he was ready even though the result was unexpected.
“We were sure that Rohan would win, but that did not happen despite his good effort.”
“I am happy that I got my chance as I was looking for the opportunity of playing in a crucial fifth rubber. I went straight to my dad and chatted with him. He told me that Maria Sharapova after wining the Australian open said that ‘champions take chances’.
“That motivated me. I was very much up to the challenge,” he said.
A jubilant Amritraj after beating Farruk Dustov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the tie decider said he hoped to see more such opportunities coming his way.
“I felt fantastic winning the match and frankly I was looking forward for such key contest for a long time. Hopefully I will get more chances in the future,” he said.
Amritraj, who will soon be back home in the US and play some tournaments there, said that the controversies of the past week were “far from his mind”.
“We look forward to playing against Japan in the next round and move on further,” he said.