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.
Amazon Prime Video has announced 69 assorted Web series and movies, and the slate sure looks interesting.
The pain of not living up to the favourites tag in the previous ties still rankles the Spanish Davis Cup team as Rafael Nadal said "special things" can happen for lower-ranked Indian players in the World Group play-off tie.
Somdev Devvarman routed world number 59 Yen-Hsun Lu 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to steer India to the third round of the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup competition as the stunning victory gave the visitors an unassailable 3-1 lead against Chinese Taipei in Kaohsiung on Sunday. India will now play the winners of the other second round tie between Australia and Thailand in May to qualify for the World Group play-offs.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Businesspersons who have the potential to contribute to the economy of a country are given a red carpet welcome by way of a start-up visa.
Unheralded British youngster Kyle Edmund faces a Davis Cup baptism of fire when he makes his debut in the final on Friday against Belgium's David Goffin in the opening rubber.
Kyrgios, who opted out of Australia's Davis Cup team this year, later posted a video on Instagram where he was seen out in the sunshine at a harbour with the caption 'Beautiful day'.
Ramkumar Ramanathan fetched the crucial win but Yuki Bhambri made the day memorable even in defeat as India and Canada shared the honours on day one of the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie, in Edmonton.
Warner played some audacious strokes batting both left and right-handed.
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.
Holders France got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a disappointing start with a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine
Quaison fires Sweden to extra-time World Cup playoff win over Czechs
India's tennis player Yuki Bhambri was handed a tough draw at the Australian Open when he found himself pitted against World No. 6 Tomas Berdych in the opening round of the men's singles event.
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.
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.
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.
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.
India's Davis Cup captain said there is no dearth of talent in the country and the immediate task is to mould the fresh crop into strong singles players.
Wales will just want to land a blow on their old rivals, snap a run of six consecutive defeats against them and claim a first win over England since 1984.
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.
A statement from the French Tennis Federation on Thursday confirmed the U-turn by the 39-year-old who had been named in June to become the first woman to captain the French team.
Andreas Seppi experienced some early hiccups before getting past Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-2 in the opening rubber, while 22-year-old Matteo Berrettini made a winning Davis Cup debut, cruising past India number one Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-4, 6-3.
"They had a few biters, guys who are hot on your heels. Then you have to act quickly, and (we) could have dealt with that better. We should have done better in possession of the ball," said Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk.
The lobby objected to the Indian mining giant's $16.5 bn Carmichael project.
While Canada may have been humbled, coach John Herdman remained unbowed making no apologies for his incendiary remarks - which caused a stir in Croatia.
But after English FA's intervention, the Bundesliga giants have now allowed the 17-year-old to feature in Steve Cooper's side only for the group stages.
'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'
Marat Safin and Mikhail won the doubles to give Russia a 3-0 lead in their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie.
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.
Tennis must avoid "internal battles" if its growth is to keep pace with other sports, Roger Federer said on Monday in response to news that the ATP was to launch a revamped World Team Cup.
Veteran tennis star Leander Paes has said unity in the Indian Davis Cup team was improving, and the camaraderie among players will be better when they will face tougher challengers in the 2014 Davis Cup campaign.
Coritiba forward Joel Tagueu's goal celebration went spectacularly wrong when he jumped over an advertising hoarding and disappeared into a hole during a Brazilian championship match.
Pankaj Advani lost his opening outing to defending champion Peter Gilchrist but later recovered and scored two straight victories in World Billiards Championship, in Leeds, on Tuesday.
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.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez will be worried at how easily his side were prised open
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.
India's non-playing captain Anand Amritraj may feel otherwise, but Leander Paes defended the decision to conduct this weekend's Davis Cup tie against Spain under floodlights, saying the home players "struggle in hot and humid conditions".
Senegal struggled without the influence of Sadio Mane although Ismaila Sarr, moved across to the left, valiantly attempted to make up for the absence of their injured talisman.
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