9.10pm
Indian veteran Leander Paes dragged his team back into their Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in Invercargill today.
The tie was all square at 1-1 after the opening day's action thanks to Paes, who beat New Zealand No 1 Mark Nielsen with the minimum of fuss.
Paes prevailed 6-2 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to make up for his country's earlier loss in the opening singles match when New Zealand No 2 Simon Rea marked his Davis Cup debut in the Asia/Oceania group one tie with an impressive 6-4 6-1 7-6 (7-2) victory over Harsh Mankad.
Rea, 21, a student at the University of Tennessee in the United States, was ecstatic with his victory on debut for New Zealand.
"It's a dream come true. Playing for my country is a huge deal," he said
The doubles are to be played tomorrow with the reverse singles on Sunday.
- NZPA
Tennis: Paes squares tie up for India
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