Moscow, Mar 7 Somdev Devvarman learnt a good tennis lesson from Mikhail Youzhny and was outclassed 2-6 1-6 3-6 in the first reverse singles, resulting in India's ouster from the elite World Group of the Davis Cup tournament here today.
India were playing in the World Group for the first time since their 1998 appearance.
With this win, Russia have taken a decisive 3-1 lead and secured a quarter-finals place while India would yet again compete in the play-offs to re-enter the 16-team World Group.
Russia have levelled the head-to-head scores 2-2 between the two nations.
Somdev's defeat has rendered Rohan Bopanna's second reverse singles of the first round tie against Igor Kunitsyn inconsequential.
It was first meeting between Somdev and Youzhny and the class difference between the two players was glaring. The Russian conceded just six games in the lop-sided match that lasted one hour and 55 minutes.
