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Norway, who are in the World Group playoffs for the first time
since 1995, took a 2-0 lead over Uzbekistan after Ruud beat the
lowly-ranked Sultanov in just over an hour, while Viktor
Durasovic sealed a 6-4 6-4 win over Denis Istomin.
The teams playing in World Group I are bidding for a place in
the 2022 Davis Cup qualifiers, a step closer to the Finals.
It was a breakthrough week for the 22-year-old Ruud, who became
Norway's first player to make it into the world's top 10.
"It is probably the best week of my life as rankings-wise I have
reached a big goal of my career," Ruud told the Davis Cup
website.
"This really is the perfect week for me to play Davis Cup here.
Playing for my country is always special and playing at home is
something I enjoy doing.
"The ultimate goal for every team is to reach the Finals. Norway
has not been to the top of the competition before, but it is
something we are fighting for every time we play. It is
something which motivates me."
Elsewhere, South Korea took a 2-0 lead against New Zealand,
while Chile and Slovakia were tied 1-1. Finland lead India 2-0,
while Peru and Bosnia and Herzegovina were tied 1-1.
There are 12 World Group I matchups in this playoff round, two
of which were played in March.
As part of the move from an 18-team Davis Cup Finals to a
16-team event in 2022, only the top eight highest-ranked winning
teams from this round will progress to the 2022 qualifiers.
The remaining four teams will play World Group I knock-outs in
November, with the two winners then advancing to 2022
qualifiers.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; editing by Richard
Pullin)
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