Somdev Devvarman, India's best bet in singles, says his team has a fifty-fifty chance against South Africa in the upcoming away Davis Cup tie, the winner of which will advance to the World Group. India advanced to the play-offs, scheduled for September 18-20, after getting a walkover from Australia in the Asia-Oceania Group I.
Disappointed with Somdev Devvarman's tame defeat against Mikhail Youzhny, India's Davis Cup captain S P Misra advised the youngster to add some more weapons to his game, saying mere a baseline approach would not win him matches against top players.
Controversial Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic is unlikely to play for his country again in the Davis Cup, captain Lleyton Hewitt said.
Somdev Devvarman fought like a true warrior to lock the tie with his stunning victory in the fourth rubber while Yuki Bhambri was locked in an engrossing battle in the decider, halted by rain mid-way, as India's hopes were still hanging by thread in the David Cup World Group play-off tie against Serbia in Bangalore.
At the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe, England forfeited their Pool A match against Zimbabwe for security reasons, while New Zealand forfeited their Pool B match against Kenya, also for safety concerns.
India's Davis Cup legend Leander Paes made it clear that he opted to play World Team Tennis during India's last tie against New Zealand in order to give youngsters a chance to prepare for the bigger battles ahead of them.
"The recent developments have resulted in an atmosphere which is not conducive for a happy friendly tie between the two teams which have immense respect for each other," AITA General Secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee wrote to the ITF in an email seen by Reuters.
Former world number one Marat Safin set the Russians on their way with a straight sets victory over Olympic champion Nicolas Massu before Igor Andreev upset world number five Fernando Gonzalez in four sets.
Last September Somdev Devvarman emerged as India's new Davis Cup hero. Winning both his singles matches at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, Somdev ensured India a comprehensive 4-1 win over South Africa, and with it a place in the elite world group after a 12 year absence.
Though Brazil appear to be a better outfit on paper, factors like home conditions and crowd support are bound to work in the hosts' favour during the September 17-19 Davis Cup tie between the two countries at Chennai, said Indian doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi.
Somdev Devvarman yet again holds the key as the Indian Davis Cup team, sans Leander Paes, take on hosts South Africa from Friday to stake claim of a berth in the World Group after 11 years.
India's doubles ace Mahesh Bhupathi tells the AITA he prefers partnering Rohan Bopanna in the doubles event at the Beijing Olympics.
A second-string Netherlands beat Wales 2-1 away after a dramatic late finale in the Nations League at Cardiff on Wednesday
India cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were, on Friday, conferred with the coveted Arjuna Award for this year and the previous year respectively by Sports Minister Vijay Goel in New Delhi.
Delhi's heat and humidity and the uneven bounce of the grass surface could play a major part in the Asia-Oceania Davis Cup match against Japan.
It's an acid test against the Czech Republic in the World Group Play-off tie, but Rohan Bopanna is confident India's Davis Cup team can tame the world number one three-time champions.
Both countries took a 2-0 lead over The Netherlands and Argentina respectively in their Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals.\n\n
Ivan Ljubicic inspired Davis Cup champions Croatia to an unassailable 3-0 lead over Austria in the World Group first round.
The player and captain Leander Paes acknowledged miscommunication and resolved to put the issue behind them ahead of the Davis Cup tie against Sweden.
Rohan Bopanna replaces Harsh Mankad in Davis Cup team for World Group play-off.
Prajnesh is now ranked 102 in the men's singles rankings with a jump of seven places while Ankita leapfrogged 35 places to a career-high 168 in the women's singles.
Victor Hanescu and Victor Crivoi beat Somdev Devvarman and Prakash Amritraj respectively to give Romania a decisive 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup play-off match. Hanescu thundered his way to a 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 win over young Devvarman after Crivoi had got past an erratic Amritraj 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the first singles of the day.
Quaison fires Sweden to extra-time World Cup playoff win over Czechs
In winning the Davis Cup Andy Murry has fulfilled the hopes Britain had in him. Now, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com, he needs to live up to his initial promise and consistently deliver results a player of his potential deserves.
Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs defeated Mounir El Aarej and Mehdi Tahiri to ensure Australia remain in the World Group next year.
Keeping the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind, the sports ministry has included the doubles duo of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, who won the Asian Games gold last year, have been kept in TOPS scheme.
'Rafa is okay, nothing serious. He did not have any stomach upset. He was playing in the US Open with the same wrist issue. It is getting better and better but still it is sometimes painful. We still have two days of competition. So he might play one of these days'
'Receiving this honour culminates a professional journey of a lifetime, standing on the shoulders of greats and sets the tone for other youngsters in Asia and around the world.'
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week's Rotterdam Open after being advised by doctors to rest, he said on Thursday.
Organisers played a wrong national anthem for Moldova ahead of their tie against Belgium in Sydney. Denis Shapovalov won the battle of the next generation against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas to help Canada to an emphatic 3-0 victory in the inaugural ATP Cup men's team event in Brisbane on Friday.
Holders France got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine
The former world No.1 pair gave India a 2-1 lead over New Zealand in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 1 first round tie after winning the doubles.
'I don't see him in any way stressed. He won't be completely destroyed if Rafa makes the 20'
Former world number one Andy Murray is in line to play Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round of the inaugural ATP Cup, with Bulgaria qualifying among the final six teams in the nation-based tournament.
Kyrgios said he would consider resting until the Davis Cup finals in Madrid in November.
