Kolkata: Seasoned New Zealand campaigner Alistair Hunt staged a remarkable rally after dropping the first two sets, to pip India's Rohan Bopanna in a gruelling five setter and level the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I second round tie 1-1 on Saturday.

Hunt, who initially had problems with his first serve and the damp court, raised his game by several notches as the day progressed to put it across Bopanna 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and 9-7 after a 189-minute tussle.

The young Indian player paid the price for his erratic display and tentative net game as the hosts surrendered the advantage of a 1-0 lead given by Leander Paes who breezed past Mark Nielsen in straight sets in the opening outing on Friday.

The proverb 'morning shows the day' did not hold true for once as the 22-year old Karnataka boy failed to keep up the momentum of a spectacular start and crashed to his third loss in four Davis Cup singles matches.

Bopanna, who clinched the first two sets in identical fashion breaking Hunt in crucial tenth games on both occasions seemed all at sea in negotiating the serves of the New Zealander in the subsequent sets.

Hunt demolished Bopanna in the fifth and ninth games of the third set, and the sixth game of the fourth set to restore parity before proceeding to break his opponent in the 16th game of the decider to win the match.

The organisers decided to postpone the doubles match to on Sunday to give sufficient rest to Hunt, slated to play the doubles, as per tournament rules.

The match began 72 minutes late after referee Nao Kawate decided that the underfoot conditions, made slushy by Friday's rain, were not suitable to start the match on time.

The two players, who were warming up, returned to the locker rooms. When the match resumed, Bopanna began on a song firing two aces in the opening game to finish it off without conceding a point. He served a total of 28 aces in the match, but offset the good work by making 20 double faults.

Hunt, on the other hand, served 14 double faults in the first three sets, but made the blemish only twice in the next two games. He hit 12 aces.

The New Zealander struggled with his service in the fourth game of the first set, committing two back-to-back double faults to trail 0-40 and give three break points to the lanky Indian. But he recovered splendidly to win the next five points and retain serve.

Hunt's service blues continued in the sixth game when he again made two double faults, but managed to hold serve. Bopanna finally took the first set in 35 minutes when he put pressure on Hunt's service in the tenth game and broke his rival. Hunt hit a Bopanna volley out to lose the final point.

The games went with serves in the second set, but Bopanna failed to take advantage of gaining two break points in the second game. He hit some good volleys and had little problem in holding serves, and drew applause from the moderate crowd at the South Club for a classical low backhand winner in the eighth game.

But at 4-5, Hunt again saw his serve desert him in the crucial 10th game. He committed a double fault at deuce to give the advantage point to India, before Bopanna sealed the set with a forehand cross court.

Bopanna stretched Hunt on the New Zealander's serve in the second game, and gained a break point, but the foreigner salvaged the situation winning three points on the trot.

But thereafter Hunt started showing more resolve, as he cut down on his errors and got his first break point in the fifth game and went on to win the next rally to go ahead 3-2.

The two players retained serve in the next three games, but Bopanna started the ninth game with a double fault and trailed 15-40, giving two break and set points to Hunt.

The New Zealander slammed a powerful forehand into Bopanna's forehand corner, leaving the Indian stranded in the opposite court to take the set 6-3. Buoyed by the victory, Hunt lifted his serve even more in the fourth set, and conceded only one point in four service game to the Indian.

PTI