Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday took to X and congratulated Team India for their victory in Davis Cup, while clarifying that it was not about cricket amid India vs Pakistan match in Dubai.
“Great job, Team India! (And I’m not talking about cricket!),” said Tharoor, the member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, in a post on X.
“Just saw news of a historic 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the Davis Cup World Group I tie. This is India’s first away win against a European nation since 1993. On to the 2026 Qualifiers!,” Tharoor added.
India’s men’s tennis team defeated Switzerland 3‑1 in the Davis Cup World Group I tie at Biel, marking the country’s first away win against a European nation in this competition since 1993.
After N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli narrowly lost a hard-fought doubles match — 7-6 (3), 4-6, 5-7 to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker in a two-hour, 26-minute battle, Sumit Nagal returned to the court for the crucial fourth rubber, according to PTI.
Originally slated to face Jerome Kym, Nagal instead took on a surprise opponent, reigning junior Australian Open champion Henry Bernet, whom Switzerland fielded for the must-win clash. The Indian handled the pressure with ease, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
India had built a strong 2-0 lead on Friday, thanks to impressive singles performances from Nagal and debutant Dhakshineshwar Suresh. Notably, India had also defeated Denmark at home on grass in Delhi during the 2022 Davis Cup. Bernet’s aggressive approach backfired, as a flurry of unforced errors handed the advantage to Nagal. India now secures its place in the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers, with the first round scheduled for January 2026.
‘Level of tennis was very high from both teams’
“It means a lot. It’s been a while that we won in Europe. We worked very hard to be here. We pushed each other, I am very happy with the win. Doubles was tough, the level of tennis was very high from both teams. I was sweating more on the sidelines than playing this match. The young ones are always tricky, you don’t know what’s coming your way,” PTI quoted Nagal as saying.
Nagal was playing his first Davis Cup tie since facing Morocco in September 2023 and his return proved to be a game-changer for Team India.
