“I have my skills, nothing else matters” – DK Suresh after a stunning Davis Cup debut
In a spectacular Davis Cup debut, Dakshineshwar Suresh delivered a crucial opening point for India, defeating Switzerland’s Jerome Kym in a commanding straight-sets victory, 7-6, 6-3.
Stepping onto the court for his first-ever match representing India, Suresh navigated the immense pressure of the opening rubber with the composure of a veteran. Despite the challenge of facing the Swiss opponent on his home turf, Suresh clinched a tense first-set tiebreak before securing a decisive break in the second set to seal the win.
Speaking after the match, Suresh reflected on the mental battle of his debut.
“My first time playing for India and this is my debut, I just wanted to go in there and be calm and just play my game no matter what the situation is,” Suresh said. “There was a lot of pressure obviously playing for your country for the first time. I felt like I handled it pretty well and I was just focusing on my strength and it turned out pretty good.”
The match remained tight throughout, but Suresh’s resilience shined when facing adversity, particularly during the second set.
“There was a few games where I could have been broken in the 2nd, but same thing again, like down breakpoints,” he noted. “I’ve been in this situation a few times so I just relied on myself, which is one of my strengths.”
That self-belief proved critical. After capturing the momentum-shifting break of serve, Suresh maintained his focus to close out the match.
“And once I broke in I told myself like this is it, I have my skills, just believe in that nothing else matters,” he added.
Suresh’s victory provides Team India with a vital 1-0 lead as they head into the remaining rubbers of the tie.
