India was left to battle it out in the Asian zone yet again after Ramkumar Ramanathan's defeat in the must-win fourth rubber of the Davis Cup match against Canada's Denis Shapovalov in Edmonton, on Sunday.
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.
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
Having lost both the singles on the opening day, the Yuki-Saketh pair did put up a fight before losing to the fancied Norwegian duo in an hour and 50 minutes.
Rafael Nadal thanked his team-mates for giving him the chance to end a troubled season on a sweet note after Spain sealed victory in the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic on Saturday.
Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's unexpected partnership in the doubles allowed France to gain an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Australia on Saturday and join Switzerland and Germany in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup.
Indian captain Anand Amritraj hinted that Saketh Myneni partner Leander Paes for the doubles rubber in the World Group Davis Cup play-off tie and he believes the hosts have a "good chance" of earning a point against the formidable Spain.
A round-up of results from Davis Cup matches played on and Sunday
Andy Roddick put USA's Davis Cup win over Russia on par with his 2003 US Open title
India will compete at home against Brazil in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie from September 17 to 19. After a long time, India have home advantage. They played all their matches outside the country in recent times.
Canada named rising star and world number 69 Denis Shapovalov in its squad to take on India in the upcoming Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie, scheduled in Edmonton from September 15.
Bhupathi said home comfort and the X-factor of Calcutta South Club's grasscourts hold India in good stead in the tie
Still awaiting the All India Tennis Association's (AITA) response to their demands, Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna said he and his fellow revolting players will adopt a wait-and-watch approach before deciding on whether to compete in the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Korea.
Teeanger Borna Coric completed an unlikely comeback for Croatia as the small Balkan nation beat the United States 3-2 in a Davis Cup quarter-final in Oregon on Sunday.
James Blake beat Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the second singles after American No 1 Andy Roddick outclassed Dmitry Tursunov in the opening rubber.
Bob and Mike Bryan kept alive the United States's hopes of reaching the Davis Cup semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-1 6-3 win over Croatian pair Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko in the doubles on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic believes he has left his recent poor form behind and will be in top shape when he leads Serbia in this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-final tie against the United States.
If the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decides to follow the recommendations on reforms suggested by the Justice RM Lodha committee, one could soon find stadiums in Pune, Nagpur, and Rajkot hosting Indian hockey team's 'Test' matches or tennis team's Davis Cup games.
Young Sumit Nagal showed spark in his game on Davis Cup debut before 'breathing problem' scuttled his victory march as India suffered a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of mighty Spain in the World Group Play-off tie, in New Delhi on Sunday. Up against the reigning Olympic and French Open doubles champion Marc Lopez, who does not play singles anymore, the 19-year-old Nagal dominated the proceedings under muggy conditions before losing 3-6 6-1 3-6 in the dead fourth rubber, that lasted more than two hours. It was a mountainous task for Ramkumar Ramanathan to prevent a clean sweep since he had world number 13 David Ferrer as his opponent. The Spaniard cruised to a 6-2 6-2 win to complete a dominating 5-0 win for his side even as Ramkumar fought his heart out, giving his all.
The five-week long tennis crisis ended as all the 11 rebel players made themselves available for the tie against Indonesia, a day after All India Tennis Association gave all the assurances with regard to Davis Cup playing conditions in writing.
Leander Paes emulated his father Vece Paesby winning the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The new president of the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) has fired the nation's first female Davis Cup captain, Gala Leon, two weeks before the Group I second-round tie away to Russia.
India face one of the most ferocious Davis Cup challenges at home as nothing less than their best would be required to challenge world number two Serbia, who will test skill and strength of the hosts even without world number one Novak Djokovic in Bangalore from Friday.
The move is designed to favour 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt and this year's runner-up Mark Philippoussis.
Mahesh Bhupathi said he has no 'personal agenda' in keeping Leander Paes out of India's Davis Cup team and said his former partner's decision to leave Bangalore mid-way into the tie was a final nail in the coffin.
India will host Uzbekistan on the hard courts of Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) in Bangalore when the two sides clash in an Asia Oceania Zone group I Davis Cup tie in April.
Russia, losing finalists to the US last year, also went 2-0 up on day one, helped by misfortune in the Serbian camp.
India's Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali on Sunday said it was good for home team players to have got the chance to test themselves in the tie against Chinese Taipei but felt that Saketh Myneni needs to develop fast as a big player if they are to win matches against tough opponents.
Olympic medallist Dr Vece Paes was a part of the BCCI's anti-doping programme for several years, besides also working with the Indian Davis Cup team.
Serbian world number two Novak Djokovic forced the Davis Cup final against holders Czech Republic into a decisive fifth rubber on Sunday with a 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Tomas Berdych in the opening reverse singles.
Bhupathi's captaincy on line in Italy tie
Leander Paes makes a return to the country's Davis Cup team as India named a four-member squad for the World Group play-off tie at home against top seeds Czech Republic from September 18-20.
Spain booked their place in the Davis Cup semi-finals against France after taking an unbeatable 3-1 lead over the United States Sunday.
Rafael Nadal shrugged off a bout of jet-lag to beat Nicolas Kiefer 7-6, 6-0, 6-3 and give Spain a 1-0 lead over Germany in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Friday. Nadal, who flew in from Miami at the start of the week, made a sluggish start on the fast indoor hard court but managed to edge an 88-minute first set 7-5 on the tiebreak, after blowing a chance to serve for it at 5-4.
Ramkumar Ramanthan scored a fluent win after Yuki Bhambri eked out a straight set victory to hand India a commanding 2-0 lead against New Zealand on the opening day of the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie, in Pune, on Friday.
Rafa Nadal thrashed Juan Monaco and David Ferrer rallied to fell Juan Martin Del Potro in five thrilling sets to give Spain a 2-0 lead over Argentina in the Davis Cup final on Friday that put the favourites on the brink of a fifth title.
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.
Veteran tennis star Leander Paes was retained in the Indian Davis Cup team for next month's Asia/Oceania Zone tie against Uzbekistan.
Yuki Bhambri will open India's Davis Cup campaign against Serbia, drawn against visiting side's No 2 player Dusan Lajovic for the first singles match of the World Group playoff tie, beginning in Bangalore on Friday.
Sumit Nagal won the second singles and then combined with Sahil Deshmukh to win the doubles as India defeated Argentina 2-1 for their first win the Junior Davis Cup final, in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
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