Davis Cup: Mukund, Ramkumar put India 2-0 up v Togo

Togo came to the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) complex here after 10 Davis Cup wins on the trot. The fact that most of their players were unknown to their Indian counterparts added to the questions about the hosts.

On Saturday, all those doubts were put to rest.

India made a strong start to their Davis Cup 2025 campaign, taking a 2-0 lead over the western African nation on the opening day of the World Group I playoff with Mukund Sasikumar and Ramkumar Ramanathan putting in commanding performances to win their respective singles rubbers, taking India to the cusp of winning the best-of-five tie.

Mukund secured a big victory over Liova Ajavon in the opening rubber, setting the tone for India’s campaign before Ramkumar doubled India’s advantage with another dominant win over Thomas Setodji, much to the delight of the Indian fans who waved the tricolour and roared their support for every point won, creating an atmosphere that fuelled the Indian players’ performances.

The opening set began on a positive note for Mukund, who claimed the first game with confidence before Ajavon responded by levelling the score to build a tense contest early on. The momentum shifted in Mukund’s favour during the third game when he averted a break of serve before decisively breaking Ajavon’s serve. Despite Ajavon’s fierce attempts to regain control in the fifth game, Mukund maintained composure, eventually winning the set 6-2.

The second set was straightforward for Mukund, who dominated from the outset. He stormed to a commanding 4-0 lead, displaying clinical precision in serves and returns. Mukund secured the set 6-1 and the match.

A short break later, Ramkumar and Thomas Setodji took to the court, with the former taking no time to establish a commanding lead. Ramkumar’s powerful forehands and aggressive baseline play left Setodji struggling to find his rhythm. Dominating every aspect of the game, Ramkumar cruised through the first set with a flawless 6-0 scoreline.

Setodji regrouped in the second set, showing signs of resilience to claim two games. But Ramkumar remained unshaken, continuing to dictate play with precise serves and relentless ground strokes. His composure and consistency paid off as he sealed a 6-0, 6-2 victory, bolstering India’s lead in the two-day tie.

“Both the boys played fantastic today. I am very happy that they both stuck to the plan and played some fantastic tennis. But I’d say it’s not over till it’s over, so let’s stay focused and get it done tomorrow,” said India skipper Rohit Rajpal.

India only need one win to seal the tie on Day 2, which will begin with N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli facing off against Setodji and Padio Isak in doubles. Mukund and Ramkumar will then return to contest the reverse singles matches, against Setodji and Ajavon respectively.