Tennis: NZ jump ahead in Davis Cup tie

New Zealanders Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak - seen here in an ATP Tour event - have taken out the doubles tie against India. Photo / Getty

The New Zealand Davis Cup team has taken a 2-1 lead over India after cruising to victory in today's doubles encounter.

Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak have combined on the Christchurch courts to defeat the Indian duo of Saketh Myneni and Rohan Bopanna in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

The triumph was crucial for the tie's outcome, with India now having to win both return singles rubbers to defeat the hosts.

Daniell - ranked 66th in the world for doubles - and Sitak, ranked 43rd, created a good partnership against the notable presence of Bopanna - the world's 10th best doubles player who recently made the semifinals at Wimbledon.

The Kiwis were rarely troubled, with a 7-1 second-set tiebreak victory denting the Indian duo's confidence and proving the catalyst for the eventual victory.

The tie will be decided tomorrow, when Jose Staham will be an outsider against Somdev Devvarman, while Michael Venus will need to put in a repeat performance of his first-up win when taking on the impressive Yuki Bhambri.

The reward for the victor will be a September encounter with one of either the United States, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland or Brazil, with a crack at a place in the 2016 World Group on the line for the New Zealand team.