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Bhupathi will lead from the front in Davis Cup tie

Mahesh Bhupati is not fazed at the prospect of leading India's challenge in the Davis Cup match against Italy beginning in Genoa on Friday.

''I do not think there is any pressure on me,'' said Bhupathi who became India's number one player for the tie after Leander Paes's withdrawal due to injury.

Bhupathi was speaking to newsmen after the Indian team's first practice session on the actual match surface at the Beppe Croce club on Monday. Overall, it was the Indians's third day of practice after they convened in the Italian town on Sunday. Bhupathi and Syed Fazaluddin arrived from the US while Prahlad Srinath came from India, along with non-playing captain Jaideep Mukherjea and coach Enrico Pipemo.

The Italians are overwhelming favourites to win the best-of-five tie on the slow, red clay courts and would have been so even if Paes had played. The Indian number one withdrew from the contest with a shoulder problem last week.

Bhupathi, who played doubles with Paes at the Lipton international last week, said an MRI of Leander's shoulder did not reveal anything. "I think it's a case of overplay... The number of Challengers he has played recently. He loses power as a match progresses and maybe he needs a break.''

Paes, he said, was hoping to recover in time to play at the Goldflake Open in Madras next week.

If one thing bothered the 23-year-old Bhupathi, it was the absence of a replacement for Paes. He could not understand why the All India Tennis Association had not arranged for a fourth team member. "It's affecting us. We can't even practice doubles,'' he said,though coach Piperno has been filling the role of fourth player.

Mukherjea admitted that a fourth player was being missed, but disclosed that since he had initially hoped to persuade Paes to play the doubles, there was no time to arrange for a fourth player when Leander declined. Further, the reserve player in the squad, Vijay Kannan, Mukherjea said, was playing the ITF junior circuit in Jakarta and it may not have been worth it to have him in Genoa.

UNI