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~ Earlier, Guy Den Ouden had put the Netherlands ahead with a three-set win over Sumit Nagal ~

India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh kept the hosts level on the opening day of their Davis Cup tie against the Netherlands with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Dutch no.1 Jesper de Jong at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru. The result ensured the tie stood at 1-1 after Guy de Ouden had earlier handed the Netherlands the lead by defeating India’s Sumit Nagal, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.  

Suresh and de Jong were neck and neck for much of the first set, holding their serves in the first nine games to bring Suresh ahead at 5-4. Despite missing out on two break points, Suresh eventually broke De Jong in the 10th game to turn up the pressure on the visitors. 

The second set followed a similar pattern with both players trading holds through a series of closely contested games. Dhakshineswar Suresh was repeatedly tested on serve through extended games, while Jesper de Jong also held firm to keep the set on serve as it moved to 5-5. With the pressure mounting in the closing stages, Suresh raised his intensity, breaking serve to close out the set 7-5. 

Reflecting on the win, Dhakshineswar Suresh paid tribute to the home support. “A lot of credit goes to the crowd. They were amazing, and playing at home is an unbelievable feeling. They gave me a huge boost of confidence, and I managed to play some good tennis. I wouldn’t say I served as well as I wanted to, but I hung in there, trusted my game and I’m happy to walk away with the victory.” 

Earlier in the day Guy Den Ouden, defeated Nagal in a grueling encounter 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. In the first set, the 23-year-old broke Nagal in the second game to set the tone for a dominant start. Nagal showed resistance in the fourth game, which stretched to three deuces, but was broken again as the Dutchman used his booming forehand to keep his opponent at bay. 

Nagal fought his way back into the fray in the second set. After they held their serves for the first six games, Nagal broke Ouden in a gritty seventh game that saw as many as four deuces. The momentum allowed Nagal to take the set 6-4 and level the match in front of an electric home crowd. 

Ouden showed composure in the decider to open a 3-0 lead. Nagal briefly pulled one break back to make it 3-1 and eventually pushed the contest to 4-3, but the Dutchman was back to his best, surviving four break points in the set and closing out the contest, 6-3. 

Tomorrow’s action will see the Indian pair of N. Sriram Balaji and Yuki Bhambri taking on Sander Arends and David Pel while the singles action will feature Sumit Nagal against Jesper de Jong, followed by Dhakshineswar Suresh taking on Guy Den Ouden. 

DAVIS CUP 2026 QUALIFIERS – RESULTS 

Guy Den Ouden (NED) bt Sumit Nagal (IND) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3; 

Dhakshineswar Suresh (IND) bt Jesper de Jong (NED) 6-4, 7-5