India take 2-1 lead over Japan

Indian ace Leander Paes ensured India a 2-1 lead after he teamed up with Mahesh Bhupathi to win an epic doubles match against Japan's Takao Suzuki and Thomas Shimada in the second round of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone Group I tie, in Tokyo, on Saturday.

It took a marathon three hours for India's golden pair to end the Japanese challenge at 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

The best-of-five rubber was tied 1-1 on the opening day, Friday, with Paes and Suzuki winning their singles matches against Yaoki Ishii and Bhupathi respectively.

India's chances of making it a 16-win in a row against Japan now rest on the crucial reverse singles matches on Sunday.

The winner of this rubber will advance to a July play-off against one of the eight first round losers of the prestigious World Group, where a win will ensure a place in the 2002 World Group.

Saturday's doubles saw fortunes swing either side several times. India won the first set comfortably but seemed to have lost concentration as they conceded the next to a charged up Suzuki/Shimada. The third set saw the Japanese duo rally and make the Indians run all over the court. Suzuki troubled the Indians most with his powerful volleys which helped Japan take the set 6-2.

But just then the Indians took a bathroom break, not just to refresh themselves but to break the menacing Japanese rhythm. They came back to finish the unaccomplished task with comparative ease, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-3..

Paes, with an overall Davis Cup record (singles and Doubles) of 51-25 behind him, was picture of sheer grit and determination in the fourth and fifth sets as he inspired Bhupathi to squash the Japanese challenge.

"It was a titanic struggle," a beaming non-playing Indian captain Ramesh Krishnan said of the three-and-a-half hour five-set marathon.

Krishnan attributed the victory to "the experience of Paes and Bhupathi which stood them in good stead".

"Besides," he said, "they showed good understanding as they breezed past in the first set."

India, Japan split opening singles