South Korea became the first Asian nation to reach the knockout stage under the current format of the Davis Cup after beating India 3-1 in Seoul on Saturday to reach the Davis Cup Final 8 for the first time.
South Korea took a 2-0 lead on Friday with both their singles players coming from a set down to win. India responded in the doubles on Saturday as Dhakshineswar Suresh and N Sriram Balaji beat Ji Sung Nam and Uisung Park 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Soonwoo Kwon then dashed India’s hopes of a comeback with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Sumit Nagal in the first reverse singles. The victory clinched South Korea’s spot in the Davis Cup finals in Bologna, Italy, in November.
India was seeking its first Final 8 appearance under the format established in 2019. Its campaign included a 2 – 3 win over the Netherlands in the previous round.
South Korea’s breakthrough is a huge moment for the country, which had reached the first round of the old 16-team World Group but had never gone further.
