<p>India got off to the worst possible start in their Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie, losing both the singles matches against Uzbekistan to be down 0-2 here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Rookies Sanam Singh, 24, and the 20-year-old Yuki Bhambri lost their singles matches in straight sets to Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov respectively.<br /><br />To stay alive in the tie, India will have to depend on their doubles pair of Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna to pull one back on Saturday.<br /><br />Istomin defeated debutant Sanam Singh 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to give his country a 1-0 lead. In the second singles, world No 262 Dustov beat Bhambri 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.<br /><br />Spain cruise<br /><br />Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer comprehensively outplayed Juergen Melzer and Andreas Haider-Maurer in the opening singles as holders Spain raced into a 2-0 lead at home to underdogs Austria in their World Group quarterfinal on Friday. <br /><br />As the four World Group ties got under way, including France against the United States, Czech Republic against Serbia and Argentina against Croatia, Almagro thumped Melzer 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 and Ferrer thrashed Haider-Maurer 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to put the hosts in command on the clay in a blustery Marina d'Or on the Spanish coast. <br /><br />Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, leading the French charge against the Americans in Monte Carlo, put the 2010 finalists 1-0 ahead when he dispatched teenager Ryan Harrison 7-5, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while Tomas Berdych secured the advantage for the Czechs with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 success against Serbia's Viktor Troicki in Prague. <br /><br />Clay kings Spain, who have won their last 22 home Davis Cup ties and are bidding for a fourth title in five years, appear to have far too much quality for Austria despite the absence of world number two Rafael Nadal. <br /><br />The French Open champion has opted not to play in the competition in an Olympic year, citing the packed calendar, and is also carrying a knee injury aggravated last week in Miami. <br /><br />Almagro and Ferrer ensured he probably will not be missed too much as they put Spain on the verge of a September semifinal against France or United States. “That was possibly my best match in Davis Cup,” Almagro said in an interview with Spanish television. <br /></p>
<p>India got off to the worst possible start in their Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie, losing both the singles matches against Uzbekistan to be down 0-2 here on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Rookies Sanam Singh, 24, and the 20-year-old Yuki Bhambri lost their singles matches in straight sets to Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov respectively.<br /><br />To stay alive in the tie, India will have to depend on their doubles pair of Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna to pull one back on Saturday.<br /><br />Istomin defeated debutant Sanam Singh 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to give his country a 1-0 lead. In the second singles, world No 262 Dustov beat Bhambri 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.<br /><br />Spain cruise<br /><br />Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer comprehensively outplayed Juergen Melzer and Andreas Haider-Maurer in the opening singles as holders Spain raced into a 2-0 lead at home to underdogs Austria in their World Group quarterfinal on Friday. <br /><br />As the four World Group ties got under way, including France against the United States, Czech Republic against Serbia and Argentina against Croatia, Almagro thumped Melzer 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 and Ferrer thrashed Haider-Maurer 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to put the hosts in command on the clay in a blustery Marina d'Or on the Spanish coast. <br /><br />Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, leading the French charge against the Americans in Monte Carlo, put the 2010 finalists 1-0 ahead when he dispatched teenager Ryan Harrison 7-5, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while Tomas Berdych secured the advantage for the Czechs with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 success against Serbia's Viktor Troicki in Prague. <br /><br />Clay kings Spain, who have won their last 22 home Davis Cup ties and are bidding for a fourth title in five years, appear to have far too much quality for Austria despite the absence of world number two Rafael Nadal. <br /><br />The French Open champion has opted not to play in the competition in an Olympic year, citing the packed calendar, and is also carrying a knee injury aggravated last week in Miami. <br /><br />Almagro and Ferrer ensured he probably will not be missed too much as they put Spain on the verge of a September semifinal against France or United States. “That was possibly my best match in Davis Cup,” Almagro said in an interview with Spanish television. <br /></p>