A total of 24 teams will play in the knockout Qualifiers on February 1 and 2 to decide which 12 teams will play the year-end Finals.
Somdev Devvarman took just eight minutes to complete the unfinished business as he beat Ti Chen 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-2, 9-7 in the second singles to put India 2-0 ahead in the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore on Saturday.
The All India Tennis Association's selection committee retained all four playing members of the squad that beat Korea Korea 4-1 last month, for the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Spain, scheduled for September 16-18.
Enrico Piperno, who was also India's Fed Cup coach says, lack of funding, support and infrastructure will cease creation of a top-50 player
Yuki Bhambri opted out of the upcoming Davis Cup match against Korea Republic after failing to recover from an elbow injury. His withdrawal will hand Ramkumar Ramanathan his debut in men's tennis' premier international team event.
Leander Paes' hopes of creating a world record in Davis Cup were dashed when the veteran Indian and Vishnu Vardhan lost the third rubber to strong rivals Artem Sitak and Michael Venus, who kept the New Zealand alive in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie.
Serbia carved out a 2-0 lead over rivals Croatia while Britain led the US by the same score and holders Switzerland were tied with Belgium in the Davis Cup.
Even a second-string Serbia proved a mighty opponent as Yuki Bhambri and Somdev Devvarman suffered crushing singles defeats to leave India trailing 0-2 on the opening day of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie in Bangalore.
Australia Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter named three teenagers in his squad on Tuesday for their away tie against France, their first World Group appearance since 2007.
Hewitt has been reeled in as replacement for unwell Nick Kyrgios
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Puetz pulled off a shock 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 7-5 win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez to give Germany a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
The Indian Davis Cup team entered the World Group playoffs after notching up a historic away triumph over Korea. The triumphant Indians will take on Serbia at home in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs to be held from September 12 to 14.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
Britain's rise from embarrassing Davis Cup lightweights to title contenders has been nothing short of spectacular and they will begin slight favourites to reach a first final in 37 years against Australia on Friday.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic will miss Serbia's Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against India in Bangalore next weekend, the Balkan nation's coach Bogdan Obradovic said on Monday.
The selection committee has picked World No. 246 Prajnesh as Yuki's replacement as he is the next best singles ranked player.
India's top tennis pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi on Saturday beat Japan's Thomas Shimada and Jun Kato 6-2 6-2 6-3.
Agreeing to the popular demand from players, the All Indian Tennis Association on Wednesday selected Delhi as venue for the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie against top seeds Czech Republic, to be held from September 18-20.
Juan Martin del Potro delivered a huge blow to Britain's hopes of retaining the Davis Cup when he beat Andy Murray 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in a five-hour thriller as Argentina grabbed a 2-0 lead in their world group semi-final on Friday.
Czech Republic's path to the Davis Cup final was wide open after they won the doubles on Saturday and Argentine Juan Martin del Potro pulled out of the reverse singles.
'The boys have hit a lot of balls and are feeling good, so we are looking forward to the weekend' The Indian team, which had a week-long training camp in New York before reaching Edmonton, is set to make a fourth consecutive attempt to qualify for the elite World Group.
David Goffin put the visitors ahead by beating Lucas Pouille in the opening singles before Jo-Wilfried Tsonga levelled for 1-1 when he defeated Steve Darcis in the second singles on Friday.
Rafael Nadal came to the party just when it mattered most as he partnered Marc Lopez scripting a decisive win against Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni giving Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Davis Cup Play-off tie against India in New Delhi on Saturday. Paes and Saketh Myneni, combining for the first time in Davis Cup, lost 6-4 6-7(2) 4-6 4-6 but not without a brave fight that tested the Rio Olympic gold medallist pair for three hours and 23 minutes in the must-win rubber. The defeat also prolonged the Indian legend's wait for the world record wins Davis Cup.
Ramkumar to play opening singles tie against Schnur, Yuki takes on Shapovalov on day 1
AITA won't force any player to travel to Pakistan and is willing to send even a second-string team to avoid suspension
Dr Vece Paes, a member of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games bronze-winning Indian men's hockey team and father of legendary tennis player Leander Paes, died in Kolkata on Thursday morning.
As India gear up to host five-time champions Spain in a Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie, Saketh Myneni knows the enormity of the task at hand.
Djere is ranked higher than Ramkumar at number 86 but is yet to win a match in Davis Cup. On the other side, Ramkumar is placed 135 in the world but is far more experienced, having played six ties with a 7-5 Win-Loss record.
While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.
India were today drawn to play New Zealand at home in their next Davis Cup tie in the Asia/Oceania Group I competition, which is scheduled for February 3-5. It was after beating New Zealand 3-2 in an away tie that India qualified for the World Group Play-offs in 2015 season. India are back in the Asia Oceania zone after being whitewashed by five-time champions Spain in the World Group play-off tie.
Zeeshan Ali said Indian players are expected to do well in the World Group Play-off tie
Australia's bad boys of tennis Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic have been named in the Davis Cup squad for the World Group playoff against Slovakia after bowing out of the US Open in typical controversy.
Veteran Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna outclassed the Korean pair of Seong Chan Hong and Hong Chung in straight sets to guide India to the Davis World Group Play-offs as the hosts took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie.
India's Davis Cup captain Mahesh Bhupathi on Thursday defended the selection of N Sriram Balaji ahead of higher-ranked Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Purav Raja for the tie against Serbia.
India will have to contend with none other than 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal as Spain today named a full strength team for the upcoming Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie. Apart from world number five Nadal, who lost in the fourth round at the US Open, Spain has packed the side with world number 13 David Ferrer, world number 18 Feliciano Lopez and Mark Lopez (world number 19 in doubles).
Pakistan's top doubles player Aisam ul Haq Qureshi refused to compete in the upcoming Davis Cup tie against India, protesting against the ITF's decision to shift it from Islamabad to a neutral venue.
With wet conditions caused by incessant rain adding to the challenge, veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes said the team which adapts quicker will have the edge in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group-I tie between India and South Korea starting, in Chandigarh, on Friday.
Rohan Bopanna was axed from the Davis Cup side since he pulled out of the Spain tie feigning injury, the All Indian Tennis Association sources claimed on Tuesday.
John Isner and Sam Querrey used their big serves to blast the United States into a commanding 2-0 lead over Brazil in their Davis Cup World group first round tie on Friday.
