Japan's reversal act in reverse singles

The Japan's Davis cup team saved themselves from the disgrace of facing a complete whitewash as they got their act together by having clinched both the reverse single ties here on Sunday.

Japanese players came up with a reversal act as they claimed both the inconsequential rubbers with India eventually winning the tie 3-2 and also making it to the World Group play-off after a gap of three years.

The 18-year-old Kei Nishikori claimed his first rubber in Davis Cup as he stormed past veteran Mahesh Bhupathi in the first reverse singles scoring a convincing a 7-5, 6-1 victory in just 53 minutes.

While another Indians veteran Leander Paes went down fighting 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 to Satoshi Iwabuchi of Japan in the second reverse singles of the Asian Oceania Group I tie against Japan played at the R. K. Khanna Stadium here on Sunday.

India had an unassailable lead of 3-0 against Japan after Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj put India ahead by winning their respective singles matches on the opening day while the ‘Indian Express’ duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi bonded together to claim the doubles on Saturday.

Surprisingly Paes and Bhupathi played the reverse singles matches on Sunday after both Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna opted to give cushion their knee and wrist injuries respectively.

The World Group play-off draw for Indian team will be finalised by ITF in coming days in London. The Indian team will play its next tie in September.