In a big setback to the Indian Davis Cup team, country's leading singles player Yuki Bhambri was, on Sunday, ruled out of the upcoming tie against Uzbekistan due to a knee injury.
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.
Spain's World No 5 Rafael Nadal has been ruled out of opening singles rubber against India in their Davis Cup World Group play-off in New Delhi on Friday.
With the Davis Cup final against France looming, Roger Federer and his Swiss team mate Stanislas Wawrinka on Tuesday played down talk of an internal row, sparked by the pair's fiery clash at the ATP World Tour Finals last week.
Juan Carlos Ferrero was the unlikely hero for champions Spain as he rode a wave of patriotic fervour to salvage their Davis Cup hopes on Sunday.
"As it seems now, I'm likely to take over as the team captain from Pilic, who will stay on as my adviser," the 34-year-old told a local newspaper.
Australia's appeal to shift next month's Asian zonal Davis Cup tie against hosts India out of Chennai over security fears was rejected by the International Tennis Federation on Friday. 'The ITF board of directors has upheld the decision of the Davis Cup committee regarding the Asia/Oceania zone Group I third round tie between India and Australia,' the ruling body said in a statement.
In what would come as a massive blow to India's chances at the Davis Cup, tennis ace Leander Paes pulled out of the US Open mixed doubles semi-finals due to back spasms which also makes him doubtful for the World Group playoff tie against Japan next week.
Experts have warned that the Raymond Davis case could affect the flow of billions of dollars of economic and military aid to Pakistan and complicate the United States-led war on terror in Afghanistan
The newspaper said that on February 8, the State Department spokesman P J Crowley, had contacted the paper's executive editor, Bill Keller, asking him not to speculate charges in the Pakistani press.
The Indo-Australian pair will now meet the sixth-seeded Argentine duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Marat Safin has withdrawn from the Russia team for the Davis Cup quarter-final against France with a knee injury
The 28-year-old hasn't recovered from an ankle tendon injury and will miss the Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
Marin Cilic sent Croatia into the Davis Cup final with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory against Richard Gasquet on Sunday that gave the hosts a 3-1 win over France.
Roger Federer will join Switzerland's Davis Cup squad when they fight for World Group survival against the Czech Republic.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said Davis was charged with murder on Wednesday but then immediately pardoned by the families of the victims in exchange for compensation or "blood money", as is permitted under Pakistani law.
In what can be termed a decent draw, India is pitted against Japan in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie, beginning September 16. The winner of the tie will advance to the World Group while the losing nation will compete in the Asia-Oceania Group I zone.
A 'hybrid model' to host next year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan remains an option as India's participation cannot be decided by the ICC if there is a government policy against it, a source in the governing body's all-powerful executive board told PTI on Friday.
Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri posted straight-set wins in their respective reverse singles as India completed a 5-0 whitewash of Indonesia in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup relegation play-off tie, in Bangalore on Sunday.
Outsiders Kazakhstan stayed alive in their Davis Cup quarter-final against holders CzechRepublic after winning the doubles rubber on Saturday.
Brothers Jamie and Andy Murray claimed a tense four-hour doubles rubber against Australian pair Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth on Saturday to put Britain 2-1 up and on the verge of a first Davis Cup final since 1978.
Djokovic etched his name in history by clinching a record 24 Grand Slam titles
The Taliban on Monday warned the Pakistan government not to release American national Raymond Davis, who allegedly shot dead two men in Lahore in January, saying any official involved in a move to free him would be killed by militants. "Any Pakistani government official playing any role in Davis' release will be killed by the Taliban," said Azam Tariq, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The Taliban have also demanded that Davis should be executed by the authorities.
Sumit Nagal had impressed on his Davis Cup debut against Spain not so long ago but the youngster has been dropped from the team for the upcoming New Zealand tie due to serious breach of discipline, the All India Tennis Asssociation sources claimed on Tuesday.
The Australian Open champion will lead Russia in next month's Davis Cup World Group opening round tie against Chile.
Indian tennis faces a second major embarrassment in six months after negotiations between the association and disgruntled Davis Cup players failed ahead of their home tie against South Korea next month.
Bhupathi's captaincy on line in Italy tie
Raymond Davis's release followed secret talks between the ISI and CIA held under the aegis of the Saudi intelligence, says B Raman
Shaik Abdullah and Fatehdeep Singh came a cropper in the decisive doubles rubber as India lost the opening tie on the junior Davis Cup Asia/Oceania qualifying round 1-2 to fourth seed Chinese Taipei in Delhi on Monday.
He may have entered the semifinal as the underdog, but Jannik Sinner's stunning victory over overwhelming favourite Novak Djokovic left the Melbourne crowd shocked.
Former world number one Pat Rafter has been named Australia's Davis Cup coach and is tasked with leading the once-great tennis nation back to the pinnacle of the sport.
Spain overcame the absence of world number one Rafael Nadal to clinch the Davis Cup on Sunday when Fernando Verdasco beat Jose Acasuso to give them a 3-1 win over Argentina in the final. Verdasco, brought in to replace Spain's off-form number one David Ferrer, won 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to hand Argentina their third defeat in three final appearances and their first home loss for 10 years.
Rohan Bopanna put up a gallant fight against world number 18 Viktor Troicki before losing as India conceded a 0-1 lead against top seed and defending champions Serbia in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group tie in Novi Sad on Friday.
Toni Nadal has given a lukewarm response to the decision by the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) to appoint former women's Tour player Gala Leon as Spain's new Davis Cup captain.
Marat Safin and Dmitry Tursunov hammered David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles to give Russia a 2-1 lead.
India's No 2 tennis player Karan Rastogi wants to win back his place in Indian Davis Cup squad and improve on his ranking this year.
Indian Davis Cup faction revolting against the captaincy of Leander Paes have relented for the time-being, making themselves available for the tie against Japan, which will be held from April 11 in New Delhi.
Sania Mirza and Shikha Uberoi were named in the Fed Cup tie against Korea
