Davis Cup: Paes eyes record in tie vs China EB rally to overcome Mumbai City
TIANJIN (CHINA): Veteran Leander Paes will make yet another attempt to create the Davis Cup record for the most doubles wins as India clash with China in their den in “brutal” cold conditions for a place in the World Group playoffs, starting here Friday.
The 44-year-old Paes is tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli and one more win will make him the most successful doubles player in the history of Davis Cup. Paes had a chance to the make the record when India hosted New Zealand in Pune in Feb 2017 but doubles was the only match India lost in that tie.
What followed in Bengaluru against Uzbekistan was an avoidable controversy as captain Mahesh Bhupathi chose to put Paes on bench, fielding Sriram Balaji with Bopanna.
Those were two chances when Paes could have got that record in front of his home fans but now after reclaiming his place in the team on the back of some stellar show in the last few months, he has to do it thousands of miles away from home in alien conditions. BHUBANESWAR: A second half strike by Mahmoud Al Amna helped East Bengal notch up a 2-1 win over Mumbai City and advance to the quarter-finals of the Super Cup here on Thursday.
A free-kick by Achille Emana (22nd min) gave Mumbai the lead but Katsumi Yusa headed in an equaliser four minutes later for East Bengal before Mahmoud Al Amna scored the match-winning goal to take the I-league club from Kolkata to the quarter-final. It was an absolute stunner as Emana stepped up for the free- kick and unleashed a magnificent free-kick that went in off the post to give Mumbai City the lead.
BLASTERS V NEROCA FC
BHUBANESWAR: Kerala Blasters will have their task cut out when they face NEROCA FC in the Super Cup on Friday. Blasters coach David James said he is expecting nothing short of a ‘fierce game’ against NEROCA.
“It’s going to be a fierce game against a side which finished second in the I-league,” James said on Thursday. “We have seen some terrific matches in the qualifiers and the round of 16. We are also expecting a same type of game tomorrow. But, we have come here to win and we’ll try our level best to accomplish it,” he said.
BENGALURU TRIUMPH
GUWAHATI: Goals from Daniel Segovia, Rahul Bheke and Daniel Lalhlimpuia ensured Bengaluru FC maintained a perfect start to their Group E campaign of the AFC Cup with a 3-1 win over Aizawl FC here on Thursday.
Trailing after an early setback, Albert Roca’s boys kept their calm and went about staging an assured comeback that now sees them with six points from two games.