India blanks Japan 3-0, qualifies for World Group Playoff

The 'Indian Express' duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi must have got some off-field differences but when it comes to country they always put everything behind as the Lee-Hesh combine came yet again together to win the crucial doubles tie against Japan to guide India into the Davis Cup World Group Playoff here on Saturday.

The Lee-Hesh pair quelled the challenge of Japanese pair Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-3, 6-4 to complete a 3-0 win. The reverse singles has now just become a formality as India blanked Japan 3-0 in the Asia-Oceania group ‘I’ Davis Cup tie played at the R.K. Khanna Stadium.

The India duo faced stiff challenge in the first two sets but after that it was a walk in the park for the experienced doubles players. Lee-Hesh clinched the first set in the tie-break while the match levelled as they lost the second after Japanese pair of Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki bounced back to seal the next 6-3 in their favour.

But thereafter the experienced duo of Paes and Bhupathi never looked back as they overpowered the Japanese combine in the next two sets to seal the tie 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-3, 6-4 in their favour.

Earlier, Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj won their respective singles on Friday to put the host 2-0 ahead.