Israel reached the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time on Saturday after Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead over Russia in their World Group quarter-final.
Victor Hanescu mercilessly crushed India's hopes to make the Davis Cup World Group as he knocked out Prakash Amritraj in the first reverse singles to give Romania an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match playoff tie in Bucharest on Sunday.
Prakash Amritraj will take on Adrian Cruciat in the opening rubber while the in-form Somdev Devvarman faces Romanian No 1 Victor Hanescu in the crucial World Group play-off tie, in Bucharest, which commences on Friday. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi meet Cruciat and Horia Tecau in the doubles.
Former Davis Cup player S P Mishra, manager of the team in the tie against Japan in April, has been appointed non-playing captain for the World Group play-off match against Romania in September.
Switzerland face the 2007 winners from March 6 to 8 in a tie that could feature the world's No 1-ranked doubles pair, and the Olympic gold medal winning pair. In another fascinating tie, the 2008 finalists Spain will host Serbia, which could see world number one Rafael Nadal facing No 3 Novak Djokovic.
Ace Indian doubles duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won their doubles rubber against Romania to close the gap to 1-2 in the Davis Cup World Group Play-off.
Somdev Devvarman expresses confidence of a good showing ahead of India's Davis Cup match against Romania.
Argentina named David Nalbandian and teenager Juan Martin del Potro to play in the singles in their Davis Cup world group semi-final against Russia.
World No 10 Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni suffered a shock straight set mauling at the hands of Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniell as India were left trailing 1-2 against New Zealand.
India's doubles ace Mahesh Bhupathi tells the AITA he prefers partnering Rohan Bopanna in the doubles event at the Beijing Olympics.
The last time Martina Hingis appeared in the Fed Cup for Switzerland she was a 17-year-old four-times Grand Slam champion with the world at her feet.
Rafa Nadal has returned to the Spain team as they seek to maintain their Davis Cup World Group status with a playoff tie against Ukraine in Madrid later this month, captain Alex Corretja said on Monday.
Changing its stance towards Somdev Devvarman's pulling out of the Asian Games squad, the AITA said it supports the step taken by the top singles player of the country.
Holders Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead over hosts Serbia in the Davis Cup final after Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek romped to a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac in Saturday's doubles.
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 was, on Saturday, gracious in defeat and conceded that Czech player Adam Pavlasek played "phenomenal" tennis in the Davis Cup doubles game in New Delhi.
Paes' inclusion under cloud as Indian team readies for a shake-up
India stormed into the final of Junior Davis Cup's World Group playoff after stunning top seeds Australia 3-0 in New Delhi on Friday.
Russia have recalled Marat Safin for next month's Davis Cup first-round tie against Serbia.
India have been seeded third in Group I of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania zone. They have been given a bye in the first round before taking on the winner of the match between Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan in the second round, scheduled from March 6 to 8, 2009.
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.
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.
Double Davis Cup winner Tomas Berdych has called for the annual competition to be played every two years, warning the current format was destroying tennis's top team prize.
The United States lifted the Davis Cup for the 32nd time when they completed a 4-1 victory over Russia in the 2007 World Group final on Sunday
Andy Murray's decision to miss the Davis Cup World Group tie against Argentina has been criticised by his brother Jamie.
Ashley Harkleroad sealed victory for the United States over Germany in their world group first-round tie with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of teenager Sabine Lisicki.
Maria Sharapova came to Russia's rescue on her Fed Cup debut to pull the holders level at 1-1 in their world group first-round tie against Israel.
"He's got a severe strain in the area between the calf and the Achilles' tendon in his left leg," federation doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro told the RFET Web site.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Defending Nagal, who has been dropped from the team for the upcoming New Zealand tie due to serious breach of discipline, and criticising AITA for publicly humiliating the player, Devvarman wrote in an open letter in the Indian Express that AITA could have dealt with the player privately.
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.
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.
Looking back at the year 2016, Indian Davis Cupper Saketh Myneni says he is very happy with the progress he has made in the last eight to nine months.
Russia, losing finalists to the US last year, also went 2-0 up on day one, helped by misfortune in the Serbian camp.
Tim Henman is set to retire from the sport after the Davis Cup world group playoff against Croatia next month.
Rafael Nadal made up for his semi-final defeat at the Rio Open a week ago by reaching the Argentine Open final with a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Carlos Berlocq.
The Spanish world number two pulled out of the opening rubber of his country's Davis Cup World Group first round tie with Switzerland after straining a muscle in training.
The former world number one was included in a four-man team along with Chris Guccione, Paul Hanley and Peter Luczak.
Roger Federer will join Switzerland's Davis Cup squad when they fight for World Group survival against the Czech Republic.
China's top two Li Na and Zheng Jie will miss next month's Fed Cup tie against holders Italy to help other players qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to a senior China Tennis Association (CTA) official.
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