Daijiworld Media Network - Seoul

Seoul, Sep 19: India's hopes of becoming the first Asian nation to reach the Davis Cup Final 8 under the competition's revamped format ended on Saturday after Korea secured a 3-1 victory in the Qualifier Round 2 tie in Seoul.

India entered the tie on the back of a win over the Netherlands earlier this year but faced an uphill task after losing both opening singles.

Dhakshineswar Suresh and N Sriram Balaji briefly revived India's hopes with a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over the Korean pair in the doubles rubber.

The Indian duo responded strongly after losing the second set, holding their nerve in the decider and securing a crucial late break before Balaji served out the match.

With India needing victories in both remaining singles, the pressure fell on Sumit Nagal in the fourth rubber.

However, Korea's Soonwoo Kwon produced a dominant display, racing through the opening set 6-1. Nagal fought to stay in contention in the second set, but Kwon continued to dictate the exchanges and closed out a 6-2 win to seal Korea's place in the Davis Cup knockout stage.

The result ended India's campaign and extended the wait for the country's first appearance in the Final 8 under the new Davis Cup format.

Korea, meanwhile, secured a landmark result for Asian tennis, becoming the first team from the continent to qualify for the knockout stage since the competition adopted its current format.

India's doubles win had offered a brief possibility of a comeback. Suresh and Balaji applied pressure on the Korean serve from the outset and took the opening set.

Korea responded in the second set, but the Indian pair regained their composure in the decider. A late break gave India the opportunity to serve for the match, and Balaji held his nerve to complete the victory.

Those hopes lasted only one more rubber as Kwon ended the contest in emphatic fashion.

India will now compete in Qualifier Round 1 in 2027.

The Seoul tie could also mark the end of Rohit Rajpal's tenure as India's captain. His current contract runs until December 2026, with no extension announced so far.