Soonwoo Kwon admitted he was feeling unusually nervous before his Davis Cup opener against Dhakshineswar Suresh, but the former world No. 52 recovered from a slow start to beat the Indian 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and give South Korea the lead in their Qualifiers tie in Seoul.
Kwon struggled to settle early as Suresh came out aggressively and took the opening set 6-3. The Korean, however, gradually found his rhythm and changed his approach on return, eventually turning the match around to win the next two sets.
“I felt a lot more nervous than I have in a long time,” Kwon said. “Of course, I usually feel some nerves, but today they were particularly intense. At the beginning, my vision was almost blurred. From the second set onward, I began to feel more relaxed.”
The Korean began to read Suresh’s serve more effectively as the match progressed. After struggling to make an impact on return in the opening set, Kwon adjusted his return position and started anticipating the Indian’s serving patterns.
“Although things did not go well in the first set, I tried to get a better read on his serving patterns. In the second set, I was able to read those patterns and hold my return position to one side, which helped me play much better.”
The comeback also came at a physical cost. After sealing the victory, Kwon was seen dealing with cramps and was unable to celebrate in the manner he wanted.
“Yes, I shouted ‘Come on.’ I really wanted to let out a yell. I also wanted to celebrate, but I was cramping, so I couldn’t. I thought I would shout ‘Come on’ and then lie down.”
The victory was particularly significant for Kwon given the pressure surrounding the opening rubber. He said playing first in a Davis Cup tie had brought an unfamiliar level of tension, having generally been selected for the second singles rubber in previous ties.
“I think the first singles rubber in Davis Cup is particularly difficult. I was very nervous, and it had been a long time since I had played the first singles rubber, as I usually play the second.”
Despite the nerves, Kwon was able to stay in the contest long enough to find a way through, leaving South Korea 1-0 ahead in the tie.
“I was nervous today, but I think you will see a different side of me tomorrow,” Kwon added.
The result marked a difficult start for Suresh, who had entered the tie on the back of an unbeaten Davis Cup debut earlier in the year. He had played a key role in India’s dramatic 3-2 comeback against the Netherlands in Bengaluru, winning three matches in that tie.
Kwon, ranked No. 157 at the time of the tie, is now set to play a second singles rubber if required, while India will look to level the tie in the remaining matches.