Juan Carlos Ferrero was the unlikely hero for champions Spain as he rode a wave of patriotic fervour to salvage their Davis Cup hopes on Sunday.
Donald Young has replaced the injured John Isner for the United States and will face Wimbledon champion Andy Murray of Britain in Friday's opening match of the first-round Davis Cup tie in San Diego.
The draw for the September 19-21 play-offs was announced on Wednesday.
Top doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi has opted out of India's Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan next month to allow tour partner Rohan Bopanna pair with Leander Paes, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced on Tuesday.
He was included in the Davis Cup team for the Asia Oceania Group 1 tie against New Zealand from February 6 to 8.
Senior pro Leander Paes's place in the Indian Davis Cup team will be up for discussion when the AITA Selection Committee meets on Monday to pick the squad for the upcoming Asia/Oceania Zone tie against Uzbekistan.
A true legend of the game who paved the way and taught so many of us how to be as a player and as a person.
World No 10 Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni suffered a shock straight set mauling at the hands of Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniell as India were left trailing 1-2 against New Zealand.
Rohan Bopanna and his partner Australia's Matthew Ebden were beaten by Argentine combo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Britain will attempt to win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years this weekend when they take on Belgium in Ghent, although if they do succeed the Scottish town of Dunblane could argue its name should be enscribed on the trophy.
Andy Murray is prepared to switch from grasscourts to clay in a matter of days to play for champions Britain against Serbia in the Davis Cup, the world number two said on Friday.
Spain overcame the absence of world number one Rafael Nadal to clinch the Davis Cup on Sunday when Fernando Verdasco beat Jose Acasuso to give them a 3-1 win over Argentina in the final. Verdasco, brought in to replace Spain's off-form number one David Ferrer, won 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to hand Argentina their third defeat in three final appearances and their first home loss for 10 years.
The world number one has shrugged off jet-lag and is relishing Switzerland's Davis Cup clash against Romania.
Indian Davis Cup faction revolting against the captaincy of Leander Paes have relented for the time-being, making themselves available for the tie against Japan, which will be held from April 11 in New Delhi.
Former world number one Pat Rafter has been named Australia's Davis Cup coach and is tasked with leading the once-great tennis nation back to the pinnacle of the sport.
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.
Since new Davis Cup reforms have been introduced, India will not have to go back to the Asia/Oceania Group immediately.
Dmitry Tursunov will take on Andy Roddick in Friday's first singles of the Russia-US Davis Cup final while Mikhail Youzhny meets James Blake in the second.
Shaik Abdullah and Fatehdeep Singh came a cropper in the decisive doubles rubber as India lost the opening tie on the junior Davis Cup Asia/Oceania qualifying round 1-2 to fourth seed Chinese Taipei in Delhi on Monday.
India's non-playing captain Anand Amritraj was upbeat ahead of the Asia Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie against New Zealand, to be played in Pune from February 3 to 5, but cautioned the Kiwis should not be taken lightly.
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.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic, the last surviving member of tennis' "Big Four", said he does not plan on stopping any time soon but admitted that the retirement of rivals Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal has been overwhelming.
Marin Cilic overcame Federico Delbonis 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-2 after a titanic tussle in the opening singles rubber to give hosts Croatia a 1-0 lead over Argentina in the Davis Cup final on Friday.
India's Davis Cup captain Leander Paes admitted there are egos to be handled in the team but expressed confidence that his boys will come out trumps in the match against Japan.
His recent success on the ITF circuit on Tuesday fetched teenage sensation Yuki Bhambri a place in the Indian Davis Cup squad for the crucial World Group play-off tie against South Africa scheduled September 18 to 20.
Andy Roddick will lead the United States against 2006 champions Russia in this month's Davis Cup final.
The Indian Davis Cup team is set for a battle of gigantic proportions as it takes on five-time champions Spain, who have packed the side with world class performers headlined by the legendary Rafael Nadal in their desperation to reclaim a spot in the elite World Group.
"He's got a severe strain in the area between the calf and the Achilles' tendon in his left leg," federation doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro told the RFET Web site.
Yannick Noah is looking to restore old-fashioned values to the French Davis Cup team as he embarks on his third stint as captain.
Hong Kong have withdrawn from their Davis Cup tie against Pakistan in Islamabad citing security concerns, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.
In what would come as a massive blow to India's chances at the Davis Cup, tennis ace Leander Paes pulled out of the US Open mixed doubles semi-finals due to back spasms which also makes him doubtful for the World Group playoff tie against Japan next week.
The Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych brought the hosts level at 1-1 with holders Spain in the Davis Cup final with a battling five-set victory over Nicolas Almagro on Friday.
David Ferrer crushed Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 to fire depleted champions Spain into the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup on Sunday and set up a clash away to nine-times winners France.
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.
World No. 16 Marco Cecchinato will spearhead Italy's challenge, while they also have the experienced world No. 37 Andreas Seppi as they look to continue their good record against India.
Tennis Australia has filed an appeal against the International Tennis Federation's decision to approve Chennai as the venue for next month's India-Australia Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie. The ITF will hear the appeal later this week and decide on Tennis Australia's request to shift the tie out of India on security grounds. It had cleared Chennai as the host city despite the Australian federation's concerns about coming to India.
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.
Bopanna also in reserves while four single specialists named in squad
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