Leander Paes of India has beaten New Zealand number two Alistair Hunt 6-3 6-4 6-4 in his opening singles match on the first day of the Davis Cup tie between New Zealand and India at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington.
Earlier, New Zealand number one Mark Nielsen opened the Asia/Oceaniazone semifinal with a win in blustery conditions.
Nielsen, world-ranked at 343, dominated the match which lasted less than two hours, winning 6-4 6-0 6-1 over Harsh Mankad.
"I was pretty happy with the way I played. It wasn't pretty tennis, but I felt like I kept my errors down," Nielsen said.
