Rediff Logo
  
 Home > Sports > News > Report
 April 6, 2002 | 1210 IST
Feedback  
  sections

 -  News
 -  Interview
 -  Specials
 -  Columns
 -  Slide Show
 -  Archives
 -  Search Rediff






 Bathroom singing
 goes techno!



 Your Lipstick
 talks!



 Make money
 while you sleep.



 Secrets every
 mother should
 know


 
 Search the Internet
         Tips
 Cricket, Hockey, Tennis

E-Mail this report to a friend
Print this page Best Printed on  HP Laserjets


Bad light stops play in crucial doubles tie

India were all set to grab a 2-1 lead against New Zealand when the weather played spoilsport in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I second round match in Wellington on Saturday.

After a four-hour delayed start, the Indian pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, playing together after a much publicized second career split, won the first two sets of the doubles rubber 6-4, 6-3 against Daniel Willman and James Shortall, when the Kiwis appealed for bad light, forcing the umpire to suspend play.

The Indian duo have to wait till Sunday morning to finish off the match. And they need to do it quickly as Paes will then have enough rest before he takes on Kiwi No.1 Mark Neilsen in the first reverse singles.

The Kiwi duo matched Paes and Bhupathi, winner of three Grand Slam titles, at the net for most of the two sets. They battled their famous opponents stroke for stroke but when the push came to shove, the former world No. 1 duo put their foot down.

Paes and Bhupathi were more bothered by the cold and south-easterly winds than the inexperienced Willman and Shortall. While Paes was impressive with his patented volleys, Bhupathi was as sharp as ever with his reflexes.

Willman, who in partnership with Hunt had beaten Bhupathi and Jeff Tarango at the Auckland ATP tourney in January, and Shortall displayed good temperament but found the Indians too hot to handle, especially on crunch points.

Willman/Shortall began on a confident note with the former trying to copy Paes's tricks at the net and Shortall coming up with big serves.

The scores remained level at 4-4 in the first set before the Indians threatened with three break-points on Willman's serve in the tenth game.

Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, the Kiwis were suddenly staring three set points and conceded the crucial break on the second when Shortall put a forehand into the net.

The second set too followed on the same lines with the hosts beginning positively only to falter later.

The Kiwis were more aggressive and were up to every challenge that Paes and Bhupathi posed. But the Indians had already indentified their man and in the eighth game they again put pressure on Willman's serve. The ploy worked as a series of errors cost the home team dear.

After Willman failed to keep a simple volley in, the two Kiwis were caught in a mix-up going for a lob, giving the Indians a double break-point opportunity.

The Indians wasted no time and converted the very first chance when Paes pounced on a weak return from Shortall, and then served out the set in the next without any difficulty.

The match will resume on Sunday at 3.00 am IST and will be followed by the two reverse singles.

Yesterday's report
Paes helps India to draw level on day one

ADVERTISEMENT