Davis Cup: Bold move by India, captain Rajpal fields Dhakshineswar against Switzerland
Dhakshineswar shines on debut, Nagal makes winning return; India take 2-0 lead against Switzerland
India progressed to the Davis Cup Qualifiers for the first time ever after Sumit Nagal tamed aggressive teenager Henry Bernet in the first reverse singles to script the team's 3-1 win over Switzerland.
Sumit Nagal attains career-high ATP ranking of 68
Meanwhile, Sumit Nagal was trailing in his second round men's singles match against Holger Rune of Denmark, when rain led to a suspension of the contest.
This is the first time in 35 years that an Indian men's player beat a seeded player in a Grand Slam.
Sumit Nagal becomes the first Indian in more than three decades to upset a seeded player in a Grand Slam.
'From where I started, I was pretty proud of myself to be able to give myself another chance to be here, to qualify and play a second round. It's a good feeling.'
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are not in favour of more Indians choosing doubles over singles.
Rather than risk a car jam, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar decided to take a brisk walk from India's permanent mission to the UN to attend the G4 summit.
Leander Paes said he is currently busy working on a biopic to portray the father-son duo's legacy on the big screen.
Akhtar Ali played eight Davis Cup ties between 1958 and 1964 and also captained and coached the Indian team.
The Indian teen star was ranked 48 in the WTA rankings list released on Monday.
Sania Mirza, who is bidding adieu to the game, says she never had the fear of losing in her heart because it makes a player defensive.
In a setback to India's medal chances in tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan missed the cut for men's doubles, which also rules out the country's presence in the mixed team competition -- its best chance for a podium finish.
India's tennis great Mahesh Bhupathi on Saturday said his former Grand Slam winning partner Leander Paes is still playing well and can continue for another year. Terming it as 'The Last Roar', Olympics bronze-medallist Paes is in his last year of professional tennis career.
Check out these Indian players who put up a fight against top-ranked opponents, and, in some cases, even beat them.
Playing only his second junior Grand Slam, 17-year-old won 7-5, 6-3
Four-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand will be among the few sportspersons who will welcome the Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) for the Delhi Commonwealth Games when it reaches Chennai on Friday.
Yuki Bhambri won the Australian Open Junior boys singles title defeating Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas of Germany in straight sets in the final in Melbourne on Saturday. Top seed Bhambri registered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 victory to become only the fourth Indian to win a Junior Grand Slam title.
Sumit Nagal entered the history books as only sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam junior title after winning the boys doubles trophy at the Wimbledon Championships with partner Nam Hoang Ly on Sunday.
'There has not been a single Indian player in the top 100 of the ATP rankings after Paes, which is not a happy situation,' said the former tennis ace.
Indian Davis Cup captain Ramesh Krishnan said it will be hard for the doubles ace to return to competition this year.
Leander Paes is the other singles player and will team up with Mahesh Bhupathi for the doubles in the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand.
Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Harsh Mankad are the other members of the team for the April 4-6 Davis Cup tie in Kolkata.
India's non-playing captain, however, refused to write off Japan in the Davis Cup match.
The appointment was made after non-playing captain Ramesh Krishnan asked not to consider him for the post in 2004.\n
India's Davis Cup captain lauded the youngster's showing in the match against Holland but said he needs to maintain a level of consistency.
India meet Japan in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I first round tie in Delhi, from February 7 to 9.
Sania slipped two places to be at 50 in the latest WTA Tour rankings released on Monday.
Indian tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi was named the new non-playing captain of the Davis Cup team and will take charge after the Asia/Oceania zone group I home tie against New Zealand in Pune from February 3 to 5. The tie against New Zealand will be Anand Amritraj's last tie as non-playing captain as AITA wants to give him a "farewell". Multiple Grand Slam winner Bhupathi was the hot favourite the moment AITA decided to replace Amritraj.
India's best chances of a medal was in the mixed doubles in which Leander Paes is expected to partner Sania Mirza.
India have a good chance of winning medals in both, men's doubles and mixed doubles events at next year's Rio Olympics, feels former player Mahesh Bhupathi.
Yuki Bhambri is aghast at being excluded from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) after preferring the US Open over Asian Games
At a critical time in the history of the United Nations, when the global order itself may be reshaped, following a devastating pandemic, India has chosen an experienced, charming and upright diplomat to lead the Indian delegation to the UN in New York.
India's Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali feels that although world No 1 Novak Djokovic's participation will tilt the balance in Serbia's favour in the upcoming Davis Cup World Group play-off tie, it would be a tie worth remembering for the spectators.
Legendary Leander Paes, on Sunday, dropped elaborate hints that he has reached the business end of his glittering career.
Not satisfied with winning the WTA Finals doubles crown with Zimbabwean Cara Black, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza wants to clinch the women's doubles Grand Slam title before hanging up her tennis shoes.
'Even if we ate our chappatis with pickle, we ensured proper food for Sumit.'
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