It’s a funny feeling, this intuition. It makes you work one way, and then the other. Gut feeling told non-playing captain Leander Paes that Rohan Bopanna—his protagonist at the Davis Cup Group tie against Uzbekistan—would keep India from going 3-1 up with a rubber still in hand. He said that Prakash Amritraj had been saved for just this reason.

And whether or not Prakash did indulge in a little tipple as rumours go, when the champagne bottle popped on Sunday after 3-2 Indian victory, Prakash was ironically the reason for euphoric celebrations. Prakash came out trumps against Uzbek’s No.2 Farrukh Dustov after Denis Istomin rallied from two sets down to beat Rohan 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 8-6 just as he had promised to do a day before.

Prakash started well earning points on his service, and served and volleyed for early points. A jostle for supremacy was on and it became apparent as early as in the second game. At 0-15, Farrukh double faulted, and after a double-handed backhand pass, Prakash earned three breakpoints. The game didn’t end until eight deuces later Farrukh sent a screaming ace to hold service.

Prakash, though, persisted. At 4-3, he finally broke Farrukh on serve in the first. At 2-2 in the second, Prakash broke Farrukh again only for the Uzbek to return the favour in the very next game, and then again at 5-3, to go 6-3 up. Amritraj junior’s service was broken three times on the trot with his points at the net percentage taking a nose-dive. When he managed to gain some control in the next, he was thumping the grass with his fist in ecstasy.

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