India keep Davis Cup hopes alive in doubles

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TOKYO: Doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi came to the rescue on Saturday as he teamed up with Rohan Bopanna to keep India's hopes alive in their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Japan.

The pair scored a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) win over the Japanese pair of Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita at the Ariake Coliseum hardcourt in Tokyo, to bring the score in the best-of-five playoff to 2-1.

India lost the opening two singles matches on Friday and defeat in Saturday's doubles would have ended their hopes of securing a place in the top tier World Group for 2012.

On Friday Japan's world number 175 Yuichi Sugita caused an upset with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 win over 65th-ranked Somdev Devvarman.

Then Japan's Kei Nishikori scored an early break in each set to chalk up a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bopanna to put Japan two up.

Japan, who have only three wins and 18 defeats against India previously, have not made it to the World Group since 1985. They advanced to the play-off by beating Uzbekistan 4-1 in July.

India were beaten in the World Group first round for the second consecutive year, losing to Serbia 4-1.