John Isner and Sam Querrey used their big serves to blast the United States into a commanding 2-0 lead over Brazil in their Davis Cup World group first round tie on Friday.
India's best player Yuki Bhambri is back in the squad and that changes the dynamics for the three-day rubber.
Rafael Nadal's decision to opt out of the Davis Cup World Group Play-off opening tie remained shrouded in mystery with Spain captain Conchita Martinez and player Feliciano Lopez coming up with two different versions.
John Isner shocked Roger Federer in four sets to secure a 2-0 lead for the United States away to Switzerland in Davis Cup World Group action Friday while holders Spain carved out the same advantage over Kazakhstan in their first-round tie.
Indian ace Leander Paes is one of the biggest stars in doubles and one of the best players in the history of tennis, said fourteen-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, who led Spain to the Davis Cup World Group by winning the doubles match in New Delhi on Saturday night.
Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione won the doubles rubber to give Australia a 2-1 lead against Roger Federer's Switzerland in the Davis Cup world group playoff tie on Saturday.
India kept alive their hopes of staying in the elite Davis Cup World Group as Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna scored a hard-earned 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Yuichi Sugita and Tatsuma Ito in the marathon doubles rubber in the play-off tie against Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.
Indian tennis star Leander Paes was ruled out of the upcoming Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Japan as he has not recovered from the back injury, he suffered during the US Open.
Somdev Devvarman will spearhead India's singles challenge in a four-member team announced by the All India Tennis Association on Friday for the Davis Cup World Group playoffs against Japan from September 16 to 18.
In what can be termed a decent draw, India is pitted against Japan in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie, beginning September 16. The winner of the tie will advance to the World Group while the losing nation will compete in the Asia-Oceania Group I zone.
Thomaz Bellucci's forfeiture enabled India draw level (at 2-2) with Brazil in the Davis Cup world group play-off tie in Chennai on Sunday.
A confident Rohan Bopanna will take on Thomaz Bellucci in the opening match of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie between India and Brazil in Chennai on Friday.
India badly missed Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhuapthi as Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman lost the crucial doubles rubber to hand a 2-1 lead to top seeds and defending champions Serbia in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie, in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Saturday.
Yuichi Sugita and Kei Nishikori helped Japan to a commanding 2-0 lead against India in the Davis Cup World Group Play-Off tie in Tokyo on Friday.
Somdev Devvarman has a heavy workload to shoulder, as India, sans top doubles player Leander Paes, take on hosts Japan in a bid to re-enter the elite Davis Cup World Group in Tokyo, from Friday
It was all smiles in the Indian camp after a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Brazil in the Davis Cup world group play-off tie in Chennai on Sunday. Come February, the team will try to win their first round tie, for that will ensure they retain their place in the world group and avoid the play-offs.
The ever reliable combine of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi ensured India's interest in the Davis Cup World Group play-off in Chennai remained alive with a straight sets win over the Brazilian combine of Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo on Saturday.
Igor Kunitsyn and Mikhail Youzhny gave Russia a 2-0 lead after victories over Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna respectively in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie in Moscow on Friday.
Thomaz Bellucci helped Brazil draw first blood in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against India, scoring a fighting five-set victory over Rohan Bopanna. The 22-year-old held his nerve to overcome the 30-year-old Indian 6-7 (2), 7-6 (7), 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 in a baseline slugfest that lasted a little less than four-and-a-half hours.
US Open finalist Rohan Bopanna will not figure in doubles in the Davis Cup World Group play-off against Brazil, beginning in Chennai on Friday, as the team has decided to stick with the tried and tested duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.
After a dream run at the US Open, where he made the men's doubles final, Rohan Bopanna on Monday said he is confident of giving India a 1-0 lead if he plays the opening singles rubber of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Brazil.
India's top ranked Davis Cupper Somdev Devvarman on Sunday said he is not under any pressure against Brazil in the Davis Cup World Group Playoff tie starting in Chennai on September 17, but would try to make full use of the home advantage.
Tennis ace Leander Paes said Russia would be a tough opponent in next month's Davis Cup World Group tie but India are capable of defeating any side in the world in the prestigious team competition.
Spain shrugged off the absence of Rafa Nadal to take a 2-0 lead over hosts the United States in their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final after gutsy wins by Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer on Friday.
India's fate in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against South Africa is still hanging in balance as the visitors conceded the doubles rubber owing to Mahesh Bhupathi's injury in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Leander Paes has pulled out of the crucial Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against South Africa due to shoulder and elbow injuries.
Seasoned pros Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi showed their class and chemistry by recording a clinical win over Igor Kunitsyn and Teimuraz Gabashvili to keep India's chances alive in the Davis Cup World Group tie against Russia in Moscow on Saturday.
Rohan Bopanna put up a gallant fight against world number 18 Viktor Troicki before losing as India conceded a 0-1 lead against top seed and defending champions Serbia in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group tie in Novi Sad on Friday.
Leander Paes made a return while Yuki Bhambri was left out of a five-member Indian squad picked for the Davis Cup World Group first round tie against Russia in Moscow from March 5-7.
Somdev Devvarman's tennis career has not only taken flight but is also going higher. As he puts it, he's playing better than ever!
Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna talks about the draw at the Chennai Open, his prospects and, of course, his big serve.
A dogged Somdev Devvarman scripted a spectacular win over South Africa's Rik De Voest in a high-voltage marathon five-setter to clear India's passage into the elite Davis Cup World Group after a long wait of 11 years in Johannesburg, on Sunday. Tenacity of Somdev and Voest engineered a prodigious tennis game which the Indian won 3-6, 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4.
Somdev Devvarman was elated after pulling off an unbelievable victory over Rik de Voest in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie and said was confident, despite being two sets down.
Roger Federer secured Switzerland's spot in next year's Davis Cup World Group with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 win over Italy's Potito Starace in a rain-affected match in Genoa on Sunday. His commanding victory, peppered with effortless winners from the baseline, gave the Swiss team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the World Group playoff.
India took the opening day's honours in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against South Africa in Johannesburg on Friday, with Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna winning the opening singles. While Somdev overwhelmed Izak Van der Merwe 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first singles, Bopanna rallied from a set down to beat South Africa's No 1 Rik De Voest, ranked 189, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles specialist Wesley Moodie was named in South Africa's five-member squad for the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against India, from September 18 to 20, in Johannesburg.
India ended Day 1 in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Brazil down 0-2 after Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarma lost the opening singles, at the Nungambakkam stadium on Friday.
Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez handed champions Spain a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final after beating German doubles pair Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 Saturday.
Injury-stricken Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick will be among the big names forced to miss the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals starting on Friday.
India will fight it out with South Africa to re-claim a berth in the Davis Cup World Group in an away play-off tie in September. India advanced to the play-off stage after Australia forfeited the Asia/Oceania Group I tie, to be held in Chennai, due to security concerns.