India take on Brazil in the World Group play-off starting in Chennai on Friday and on form, India look the likely favourites to clinch this tie, writes Bikash Mohapatra.
Italy's Matteo Berrettini beat Brazil's Joao Fonseca to give his side a flying start and Matteo Arnaldi then outlasted Thiago Monteiro to put the hosts into a 2-0 lead.
Japan clinched the tie 3-2 after Gouichi Motomura beat Leander Paes in the deciding rubber of the Asia-Oceania zone Group One second round tie.
Saketh Myneni and Yuki Bhambri registered dominating straight-set victories as India completed a 5-0 rout of Chinese Taipei in the first round Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore on Sunday.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi took India to the World Group play-offs as they won the doubles encounter against Japan and clinch the Asia Oceania round II tie 3-0 in New Delhi on Saturday. India's top singles players Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj had come through tough five-setters on Friday.
Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan blew away their chances in the must-win doubles match as India lost the World Group I tie to Finland after conceding an unassailable 0-3 lead, in Espoo on Saturday.
Two years after Spain's stunning fall from grace in Davis Cup tennis, Rafael Nadal has hailed his nation's return to the World Group after victory in the playoff against India.
Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka secured Switzerland a place in the 2009 World Group with a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Belgium's Olivier Rochus and Xavier Malisse.
Sumit Nagal had to be content with a runner-up finish at the ATP Tulln Challenger event after losing the singles title clash in straight sets to Czech Republic's Vit Kopriva, in Tulln on Sunday.
Sumit Nagal on Monday dropped out of the much-desired bracket following a string of poor show
The former Davis Cup player and captain was felicitated by the AITA on bagging the ITF's 'Award for Services to the Game'.
The freezing cold made the conditions challenging for the players.
Marat Safin and Mikhail won the doubles to give Russia a 3-0 lead in their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie.
Andy Murray's decision to miss the Davis Cup World Group tie against Argentina has been criticised by his brother Jamie.
India are one win away from securing a berth in the World Group play-offs after Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni defeated Hyung-Taik Lee and Lim Yong-Kyu in the crucial doubles match of their second round Asia/Oceania Group I tie against Korea, in Busan on Saturday.
Former Indian tennis captain Anand Amritraj has criticized top players Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri for not playing in the Davis Cup, stating that money should not be a factor when representing the country.
Tennis great Vijay Amritraj says there should be least controversy with regards to India's doubles combination in Davis Cup since the doubles match matters only when there are 'even singles matches'.
Prakash Amritraj will play the second singles against Sjeng Schalken in the Davis Cup tie against Holland.
The ATP Players Council has proposed the scheduling of a tennis 'World Cup' to provide a less rigorous international competition than the current Davis Cup, Serbian world number three Novak Djokovic said on Wednesday.
The doubles ace put up a brave face despite India being underdogs in the Davis Cup match against the Netherlands.
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.
Belarus will figure in the Davis Cup World Group for the first time while Germany are relegated for the first time in 20 years.
Hewitt cruised to victory in less than an hour and a half to leave Australia in control of the Davis Cup relegation tie at Perth's Royal Kings Park.
Leander Paes became the most successful player in the history of Davis Cup as he combined with Rohan Bopanna to not only grab a record 43rd win but also bring India back in tie against China, in Tianjin, on Saturday.
Somdev Devverman kept India's hopes alive in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, in Delhi, on Friday.
IMAGES from the Group A match played between the Netherlands and Qatar on Tuesday.
Vishnu Vardhan made an impressive Davis Cup debut but lost the must-win first reverse singles of the play-off tie to Kei Nishikori in Tokyo on Sunday. The result relegated India to Asia/Oceania Zone Group I and catapulted Japan to World Group for the first time since 1985.
'I don't think you can fault us for not trying. We kept giving our best shot because we know how special a relationship it is for not just us but the country as well'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Davies's poor spot-kick was saved low to his right by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Canada wasted numerous other opportunities to open the scoring.
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.
Prakash Amritraj will take on Jonas Bjorkman in the opening singles of the Davis Cup World Group play-off.
The 2002 Australian Open champion will spearhead the former champions' campaign in the Davis Cup World Group play-off against India.
US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz crashed to defeat on his debut as world number one, losing to Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in their Davis Cup Finals group-stage clash on Friday.
Prakash Amritraj and Harsh Mankad lost the reverse singles as The Netherlands won the Davis Cup play-off tie 5-0.
Leander Paes said he is currently busy working on a biopic to portray the father-son duo's legacy on the big screen.
