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.
Experts have warned that the Raymond Davis case could affect the flow of billions of dollars of economic and military aid to Pakistan and complicate the United States-led war on terror in Afghanistan
Spain's World No 5 Rafael Nadal has been ruled out of opening singles rubber against India in their Davis Cup World Group play-off in New Delhi on Friday.
The newspaper said that on February 8, the State Department spokesman P J Crowley, had contacted the paper's executive editor, Bill Keller, asking him not to speculate charges in the Pakistani press.
Marat Safin has withdrawn from the Russia team for the Davis Cup quarter-final against France with a knee injury
The 28-year-old hasn't recovered from an ankle tendon injury and will miss the Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
The former world number one returned to best-of-five-set tennis for the first time in 14 months at the US Open last week but, after hobbling to defeat in the second round, he decided to skip the Sept. 14-16 World Group playoff tie.
Roger Federer will join Switzerland's Davis Cup squad when they fight for World Group survival against the Czech Republic.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said Davis was charged with murder on Wednesday but then immediately pardoned by the families of the victims in exchange for compensation or "blood money", as is permitted under Pakistani law.
Marin Cilic sent Croatia into the Davis Cup final with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory against Richard Gasquet on Sunday that gave the hosts a 3-1 win over France.
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.
Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri posted straight-set wins in their respective reverse singles as India completed a 5-0 whitewash of Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup relegation play-off tie, in Bangalore on Sunday.
Outsiders Kazakhstan stayed alive in their Davis Cup quarter-final against holders CzechRepublic after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday.
The Australian Open champion will lead Russia in next month's Davis Cup World Group opening round tie against Chile.
The Taliban on Monday warned the Pakistan government not to release American national Raymond Davis, who allegedly shot dead two men in Lahore in January, saying any official involved in a move to free him would be killed by militants. "Any Pakistani government official playing any role in Davis' release will be killed by the Taliban," said Azam Tariq, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The Taliban have also demanded that Davis should be executed by the authorities.
Brothers Jamie and Andy Murray claimed a tense four-hour doubles rubber against Australian pair Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth on Saturday to put Britain 2-1 up and on the verge of a first Davis Cup final since 1978.
Indian tennis faces a second major embarrassment in six months after negotiations between the association and disgruntled Davis Cup players failed ahead of their home tie against South Korea next month.
Sumit Nagal had impressed on his Davis Cup debut against Spain not so long ago but the youngster has been dropped from the team for the upcoming New Zealand tie due to serious breach of discipline, the All India Tennis Asssociation sources claimed on Tuesday.
Raymond Davis's release followed secret talks between the ISI and CIA held under the aegis of the Saudi intelligence, says B Raman
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
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.
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.
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.
Bhupathi's captaincy on line in Italy tie
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.
Toni Nadal has given a lukewarm response to the decision by the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) to appoint former women's Tour player Gala Leon as Spain's new Davis Cup captain.
Marat Safin and Dmitry Tursunov hammered David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles to give Russia a 2-1 lead.
India's No 2 tennis player Karan Rastogi wants to win back his place in Indian Davis Cup squad and improve on his ranking this year.
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.
Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi were named in the Fed Cup tie against Korea
Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi were named in the Fed Cup tie against Korea
Argentina reached the Davis Cup final for the second time as victory in the doubles gave them an unassailable 3-0 lead over Australia.
Faced with problem of plenty, India's Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal said, the doubles combination for the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand will be decided on the basis of players' fitness levels and weather conditions.
Novak Djokovic spurred Serbia to a 3-0 win over neighbours Croatia in the first round of the Davis Cup on Saturday and they will be joined in the quarter-finals by an equally rampant France.
Surprised by the sacking of his elder brother as India's Davis Cup skipper, the legendary Vijay Amritraj says Anand Amritraj is the country's best captain in the last three decades and it is quite against the trend to remove a winning leader.
The U.S. Open runner-up has already won 24 Davis Cup singles matches and needs one more to eclipse Adrian Quist's Australian record.
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.
The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) said on Thursday it had decided not to extend the contract of Davis Cup captain Alex Corretja when it expires at the end of this year but has yet to name a successor.
