New Delhi: India and Uzbekistan ended Day I on Friday of their Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone I tied at one-match all.
In the opening singles match Rohan Bopanna proved to be too strong for his Uzbek opponent Farruk Dustov.
Bopanna decimated Dustov in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 to give India the lead.
The 21-year-old Dustov, who is ranked 249 in the world, was simply outclassed on a surface that he is not accustomed to playing on by Bopanna.
Ironically Bopanna is actually ranked below Dustov in the ATP rankings and is ranked 289.
But India's joys were short-lived when Uzbekistan’s No. 1 player Denis Istomin easily beat Somdev Dev Varman in the second singles.
Istomin won comfortably in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Istomin, who is 185 in the ATP rankings, was never troubled by the Indian who was clearly nervous on his Davis Cup debut despite constant encouragement from his non-playing captain Leander Paes.
The focus now shifts to the doubles encounter on Saturday when Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj will try to give India the lead going into the reverse singles on Sunday.
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