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HT This Day: May 6, 1970 -- Lal carves out India’s win
India today confidently knocked out Australia from the Davis Cup tournament, winning 3-1 in the East Zone final here to avenge their 4-1 defeat in the Challenge Round in 1966
India today confidently knocked out Australia from the Davis Cup tournament, winning 3-1 in the East Zone final here to avenge their 4-1 defeat in the Challenge Round in 1966.
“They were too good,” Neale Fraser, Australian non-playing captain, admitted.
Australia, 15 times winners of the Davis Cup in the last 20 years, could not win any of the singles matches decided. Their only success was in the doubles.
Coincidentally, India could win only the doubles in the 1966 Challenge Round. Premjit Lal, India’s No. 1, outplayed lanky Australian Dick Crealy in straight sets in the first reverse singles today, winning 8-6, 6-2, 6-2 to give India a winning 3-1 lead.
The final singles between Jai- deep Mukherjea and Ray Ruffels was declared a draw with the score 6-6 in the final set, after the Indian had taken the first two sets 6-3. 7-5 and the Australian had levelled by winning the next two 6-4, 6-3. The match could not be finished within the time limit set by referee Shamsher Singh and he declared it a draw.
India now meet the winners of the European Zone Section ‘B’, the draw for which is not known.
This is the second year in succession that Australia has been eliminated even before reaching the Challenge Round. Mexico defeated them 3-2 in the American Zone last year.
Premjit Lal took only 86 minutes to settle the issue today. Taking the court fresh and full of vigour, despite it being his fourth successive day, Lal’s mastery was never in doubt. He appeared in trouble when trailing 3-5 in the first set, but touched peak form in the ninth game and never looked back thereafter.
Grand display
He completely outwitted the 6 ft. 5 inch power-game specialist, taking the set at 8-6, in 39 minutes. In the next two sets, he forced his opponent to commit errors with deep volleys, winning those 6-2, 6-2 much more easily.
The fate of the tie having been decided, Mukherjea and Ruffels took the court without mental tension. Playing in this mood, the two I gave off their best.
A leg-weary Mukherjea, who was on the court for the third day today, made up for his opponent’s ability with fine court craft. However, the long-drawn duels in the first two i sets which he won wearied him. Ruffels took advantage of it to equalise the score by taking the next two sets.
Mukherjea then put up a spirited fight in the final set to draw level I at 6 all when the referee called “time out” and declared the match as drawn.
