Nadal lifts Spain, India holds Serbia | Irish Sun

Nadal lifts Spain, India holds Serbia

ABC Australia Friday 4th March, 2011

India held defending champion Serbia in check while a Rafael Nadal-inspired Spain, France and Argentina all held sway on the opening day of Davis Cup World Group first round ties on Friday. Serbia, without its top player in Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, has plenty of work to do in Novi Sad to avoid a shock early exit. Viktor Troicki, who sealed his country's victory against France in December's 2010 final in Belgrade, put the Serbs into the lead, edging Rohan Bopanna in a cliffhanger 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3. But India goes into Saturday's doubles level at 1-1 after Somdev Devvarman stunned Janko Tipsarevic 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) in the second singles. It was Devvarman's first win in his third encounter with Tipsarevic, who looked a pale shadow of the player that reached the Del...

Read more