New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Indian doubles specialist Yuki Bhambri admitted that the magnitude of Wimbledon got the better of him and partner Michael Venus after the pair suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the men’s doubles competition at the All England Club.

Bhambri and New Zealand’s Venus were beaten 3-6, 4-6 by the Dutch-American pairing of Jean-Julien Rojer and Theodore Winegar in the opening round, with the Indo-Kiwi duo struggling to impose themselves on serve and failing to convert any break-point opportunities.

Reflecting on the defeat, Bhambri said the occasion affected both players, leading to an nervous performance.

“Playing in one of the biggest tournaments of our sport, I think the occasion got to me and my partner Michael Venus. We were not able to handle the pressure. We played a very, very nervous match and really paid the price. Our movement wasn’t sharp, our returns were off, and we couldn’t find a rhythm on serve,” Bhambri told Jio Hotstar.

Despite the early exit, the 33-year-old remained optimistic about the partnership’s future, pointing to the encouraging results they have produced together in recent months.

“But me and Michael have been doing good things together. We have had some solid results leading up to this. Hopefully we have a few more Wimbledons to come back and rectify this. We will learn from this experience and put in a better performance next time,” he added.

Looking ahead, Bhambri shifted his focus to India’s upcoming Davis Cup Qualifiers tie against South Korea, calling it a massive opportunity for the country to return to the elite stage of the competition.

“This is a huge opportunity for us as a nation. To go out there, win the Davis Cup qualifiers, and make it to the main draw. India hasn’t been in this position for a long time,” he said.

“South Korea are our opponents, and I’m sure they are thinking the same way. But we have a good squad. Our players are in form and playing well. We are confident that we have the game to beat South Korea and advance to the next round,” he added.

Bhambri believes the hard-court surface will work in India’s favour as the team aims to secure a place in the Davis Cup Final 8.

“We will be playing on hard courts, which suits our game. Hopefully we can put up a strong performance and help India reach the Final 8. I can’t wait to see that happen,” he concluded.

–IANS

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