CHANDIGARH: A blend of aggression and solidity epitomized by debutante Leander Paes and Zeeshan Ali, took India into the second round of the Asia Oceania zone Davis Cup tie, with a 30 winning lead against Japan here on Saturday.

The new Indian pair of Ali and Paes slugged it out with Japan’s Shuzo Matsuoka and Shigeru Ota for a marathon four hours 26 minutes before emerging 46, 63, 64, 46, 1816 winners in the battle of the doubles waged out on the Chandigarh lawn Tennis Association tennis court.

Paes, runner up at the Australian junior open this year, lived up to expectations and along with national champion Ai set up a second round clash with South Korea towards the end of April.

India, which lost to South Korea at Barauch, last year, will meet them in Seoul and the winner of the tie will advance for the play off for a place in the world zone next year,

India who won both the singles on the opening day for a 20 lead went under in the first set of the doubles on Saturday with the 16 year old Paes failing to hold his first service game in Davis Cup. The Japanese duo making the breakthrough in the third game went on to clinch the set with Matsuoka playing better than he did yesterday.

Paes improved as the game progressed and turned on his aggressiveness to come up with winners in the second set. Ali, the senior partner, stablised the game and the pair broke Matsuoka’s serve in the fourth game before taking the set, to come on level.

The Indian advance continued in the third set and the pair affected a break of Ota’s serve in the first game marked by brief rallies. Japan trailing 040 saved four break points before a Paes forehand crosscourt passed by as a winner.

Thereafter the games went with serve and Ali made good use of the lob to score points. However, Paes found himself in trouble during the 10th game but worked his way with an ace to wrest the initiative.

The 10 minute mandatory break after three sets brought back the Japanese duo on the court with greater determination and they began to fight back with of Zeeshan serve in the 10th game.

With games going with serve till the ninth game of the fourth set, neither pair was willing to take risks. India saved two set points after Deuce was called twice but the match was pushed to the decider with Paes drop shot taking the net.

The match turned around in the crucial ninth game, with Japan leading 53 and Ota serving. Ali and Paes put everything they had into the game and Paes rounded off the break with an impressive forehand centerline return on to Matsuoka’s racquet.

Japan saved many game and break points in the prolonged battle that followed with Matsuoka saving thrice in the 15th game and Ota twice in the 2Ist.

With the rule of tie break not applicable to the fifth set, the players remained on court with each pair unable to break the other’s serve. Even in the 31st game, Matsuoka was pumping in his aces as did Zeeshan Ali. In fact it was two aces in the 32nd from Ali that changed the complexion of the match. Paes served in the last game of the match and he thundered through his way clinching all the points on first serve. With Matsuoka sending the return high into the air on the last point, India recorded an impressive victory over Japan.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 6, 1990