Mumbai: India found themselves in a precarious situation on the first day of their Davis Cup World Group I tie against Sweden, trailing 2-0 after N Sriram Balaji and Ramkumar Ramanathan lost their singles matches in Stockholm on Saturday.

Balaji, primarily known for his prowess in doubles, faced an uphill battle against Sweden’s top-ranked player, Elias Ymer. The match saw Ymer dominate Balaji with a straight-set victory, 6-4, 6-2. Ymer’s strong baseline play and consistent service breaks prevented Balaji from gaining any significant foothold in the match.

The second match of the day brought an unexpected turn of events. Ramkumar Ramanathan, who holds a ranking over 250 spots higher than his opponent, faced Leo Borg. Borg, the son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg and currently ranked 603rd in the world, secured a decisive win over Ramkumar with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4. Despite Ramkumar’s experience and higher ranking, Borg’s aggressive baseline tactics and the supportive home crowd played crucial roles in his triumph.

The tie is being contested on indoor hard courts, adding another layer of challenge for the Indian team. A balanced scoreline of 1-1 might have been more manageable, but the current 0-2 deficit presents a significant challenge for India going into the second day, which will feature both doubles and reverse singles matches. Given this situation, changes in combinations and lineups are likely for the relatively inexperienced Indian squad, with Balaji and Ramkumar also slated to compete in the doubles tie.

Captain Rohit Rajpal’s strategic decision to field Balaji in singles did not yield the desired outcome. Ymer, ranked 238th globally, managed to break Balaji’s serve early in both sets, setting the tone for a straightforward victory. The captain had hoped that Balaji’s powerful serves would create opportunities, but Ymer’s early breaks nullified this advantage.

The real surprise came in the next match. Ramkumar Ramanathan, who was once on the cusp of breaking into the top 100 and is currently ranked 332, faced Leo Borg, a young player primarily competing on the Futures circuit. Borg’s dominant performance from the baseline neutralized Ramkumar’s game plan, which heavily relies on serve-and-volley tactics. The Indian player was broken to love in the sixth game of the first set and missed crucial break-point opportunities in the subsequent game. In the second set, Borg broke Ramkumar again in the seventh game and maintained his lead to clinch both the set and the match.

With a 2-0 lead favoring Sweden, India faces an arduous task on the second day of competition. The doubles match and reverse singles will be critical as India attempts to claw back from this significant deficit.