India make a clean sweep against Lebanon

India completed a 5-0 rout of Lebanon in the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group I tie, when they registered comfortable straight sets victory in the two dead reverse singles matches on Sunday.

Despite having clinched the tie yesterday after taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead, India fielded their number one Leander Paes in the reverse singles today and the former Olympic bronze medallist brushed aside the challenge of Patrick Chucri 6-2, 6-2.

Harsh Mankad, who had won his firss Cup match to give his team a 2-0 lead on the opening day on Friday, then sailed past Karim Alayli 6-3, 6-1 to make it a cleen sweep for India.

Like all the previous matches, the Indians were never stretched by their Lebanese opponents and romped home comfortably in their respective matches which were reduced to best of three sets.

India's doubles pair of Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had yesterday given their team a winning 3-0 lead when they defeated the Lebanese team of Ali Hamadeh and Chucri 6-2 6-1 6-3 in a one hour 23 minute match.

On the opening day, Paes had thrashed Alayli 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 while Mankad defeated Lebanon's number one Hamadeh 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in one-sided matches.

India will take on New Zealand in the second round to be played in New Zealand from April 5 to 7. New Zealand got past Indonesia 3-2.