Tennis: India complete 4-1 win over NZ

New Zealand were unable to win a set in the doubles or first of the reverse singles against India in the Asia/Oceania zone second round Davis Cup tennis tie in Calcutta yesterday.

It gave the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Doubles exponent Leander Paes then quickly disposed of Wellington's Robbie Cheyne 6-1 6-0 in the dead fifth rubber to give India a 4-1 win, the same score as in Wellington last year.

Mark Nielsen and Alistair Hunt were outclassed in the doubles by former world number one pairing Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi when play began on the third day.

The New Zealanders got an early break in the first set to lead 2-1 but then were always struggling and lost 6-3 6-2 6-3 in 90 minutes.

New Zealand No 1 Nielsen was ill yesterday and did not come to the courts for Hunt's epic win in the second match of the opening singles.

After again not feeling well at the end of the doubles he was replaced by James Shortall for the first of the reverse singles against Indian number one Rohan Bopanna.

This was Shortall's fourth singles match in Davis Cup but his first live singles match. He struggled from the outset and eventually went down 6-3 6-2 6-4 to give the tie to India.

Final scores:

India 4 New Zealand 1

Leander Paes (IND) bt Mark Nielsen (NZL) 6-1 7-6 (7-1) 6-2

Alistair Hunt (NZL) bt Rohan Bopanna (IND) 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 9-7

Paes/Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) bt Hunt/Nielsen (NZL) 6-3 6-2 6-3

Bopanna (IND) bt James Shortall (NZL) 6-3 6-2 6-4

Paes (IND) bt Robbie Cheyne (NZL) 6-1 6-0

- NZPA