Chris Symes/Photosport
KP Pannu produced a valiant showing against Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov on Saturday.
New Zealand’s Davis Cup tennis team have a mountain to climb if they’re to avoid being relegated to World Group Two.
Bulgaria claimed both singles rubbers to leave New Zealand in a 2-0 hole in their World Group 1 playoff at Christchurch’s Wilding Park on Saturday.
On a scorching Christchurch day, where temperatures soared to a high of 32 degrees Celsius, inexperienced New Zealand duo Ajeet Rai and KP Pannu fought bravely against their more fancied Bulgarian opponents.
Alexandar Lazarov powered past Rai 7-6 6-2 in the opening rubber of the day.
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Dimitar Kuzmanov, Bulgaria’s top ranked singles player at 192 in the world, came from a set down to subdue the plucky Pannu in just his second Davis Cup tie, winning 5-7 6-3 6-2. It was a gutsy showing from Pannu, ranked 576th in the world for singles – ranked 384 spots lower than 192-ranked Kuzmanov.
New Zealand’s task of an upset tie win got steeper when veteran Rubin Statham was a late injury scratching on Saturday, managing an Achilles issue.
Chris Symes/Photosport
KP Pannu celebrates winning a point against Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov on Saturday.
The Kiwis have their excellent doubles combination of Michael Venus and Artem Sitak to come in Sunday’s opening rubber, but will need to win that and the reverse singles to pull off a comeback triumph.
Statham’s injury absence was a blow for the Kiwis with the 35-year-old, who debuted in 2005, New Zealand’s most capped Davis Cup player in history with 33 ties.
Statham could have created New Zealand Davis Cup history on Saturday with a win, overtaking Onny Parun for the most overall wins (singles and doubles). Statham and Parun are tied on 30 wins with Statham achieving 28 in singles.
New Zealand will hope he is healthy enough to go on Sunday, but if the tie is out of reach he might not be risked.
Chris Symes/Photosport
Christchurch’s Bulgarian community cheer on their side in Saturday’s Davis Cup tie against New Zealand at Wilding Park.
New Zealand Davis Cup captain Kelly Evernden was heartened by what he saw from Rai and Pannu and believed they would be better for the experience.
“When we were in Finland [in September and they struggled] to here it’s night and day. The way they’re playing it’s great.
“The big thing we’re trying to get everyone to understand is nobody is going to give it to you at this level, so you’ve got to go out there and when you get opportunities like that you’ve got to take them.”
Pannu survived three set points in the 10th game of the first set to hold serve and lock it at 5-5 in a gritty display from the 26-year-old Wellingtonian.
He fed off that confidence, producing some fine play to break Kuzmanov’s serve and go ahead, before closing out the first set 7-5.
The sun-drenched crowd erupted when Pannu clinched the first set, prevailing in a one hour, 17-minute duel.
Kuzmanov fought back, setting up a deciding third set with a convincing showing in the second set.
Chris Symes/Photosport
Bulgaria’s Alexandar Lazarov celebrates winning a point during his Davis Cup singles victory over New Zealand’s Ajeet Rai.
He finally broke Pannu’s serve for the first time in the match after more than two hours to go ahead 5-3 and then held serve to take the crucial second set.
Kuzmanov was clearly energised by his second set win and broke Pannu’s serve in the third game of the third set to move ahead 2-1. He never looked back from there with Pannu’s head dropping.
In the earlier match, there was a lot to like about Rai’s play in the first set, largely matching it with Lazarov.
Chris Symes/Photosport
New Zealand’s Ajeet Rai returns a shot during his singles rubber against Bulgaria’s Alexandar Lazarov.
In an intriguing first set, Rai had four break points in the third game, but failed to take advantage with Lazarov holding serve.
Lazarov looked to be in control, delivering a decisive blow in the eighth game, breaking Rai’s serve to surge ahead 5-3, giving him the chance to serve for the set.
Rai, in just his sixth Davis Cup tie, hung tough and broke Lazarov’s serve in the next game to close it up at 5-4, making some strong returns. He then held serve to level it at 5-5.
It all unravelled in the first set tiebreaker though for the Kiwi with Lazarov showing his class and forcing unforced errors from Rai. He was outgunned 7-1 in the tiebreaker, handing the crucial first set to Lazarov.
The second set was all Lazarov, who broke Rai’s serve in the opening game and was tough to stop from there.
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