Paes returns in Davis Cup squad, Sanam replaces Yuki

STAFF WRITER 18:46 HRS IST

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Leander Paes made a return while Yuki Bhambri was left out of a five-member Indian squad picked today for the Davis Cup World Group first round tie against Russia in Moscow from March 5-7.

Sanam Singh was included in the squad announced by the selection committee of All India Tennis Association (AITA).

The three other players in the squad are Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman.

S P Misra will be the non-playing captain while Nandan Bal will be the coach.

India had beaten South Africa 4-1 in the play-off in Johannesburg in September last year to advance to the World Group for the first time since 1998.

The Squad: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Somdev Devvarman, Sanam Singh.

Team Captain: S P Misra

Coach: Nandan Bal.

Bhupathi-Knowles in doubles semi-finals

MELBOURNE: Mahesh Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Mark Knowles sailed into the Australian Open doubles semi-finals, defeating Feliciano Lopez and F ernando Verdasco in searing conditions at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.

The third seeded Indo-Bahamian pair took 88 minutes to dispatch the Spanish duo 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in their quarter-final clash.

Lopez-Verdasco showed some resistance in the second set, winning it 6-2, but Bhupathi-Knowles eventually prevailed to move to the next level.

Among the juniors, top seed Yuki Bhambri moved to the third round after defeating Stephen Hoh of Australia 7-6(1), 6-0.

Earlier, Leander Paes, and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy advanced to the men's doubles quarter-finals defeating locals Paul Hanley and Jordan Kerr 6-2, 7-5 on Monday.

Source: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bhupathi-Knowles_in_semis_Paes-Black_out/articleshow/4035023.cms