India eager for Davis Cup win over U.S.

India, eager to qualify for the Davis Cup's elite world group, have set their sights on beating the United States in a playoff later this year.

"It's going to be very, very tough. But we're hoping to make things happen," Leander Paes, India's number one player, said on Friday.

"We have not been in the world group for some time now so that's the motivation," he added.

India, who last played a world group match in 1998 when they lost to Italy in Genoa, face the U.S. in Winston Salem, North Carolina from September 21-23.

The winners qualify for the 2002 world group, while the losers will compete in regional competition next year.

The U.S. have won all six of their previous ties against India, the last being a 5-0 sweep on grass in 1994.

India's hopes are pinned on the country's doubles players, Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, who are together again after a brief separation in 2000.

The former world number one doubles pair have slowly climbed back up the rankings to 13th in the world with wins at Houston and Atlanta last month.

"We want to take one step at a time. First on our agenda is the French Open, then Wimbledon. We want to use these tournaments as stepping stones to get ourselves ready for the Davis Cup tie against the United States," Paes said.

In 1999 they became the first duo in more than 45 years to reach the final of all four grand slams, winning at Wimbledon and in Paris but losing the U.S. and Australian.

Their next major tournament, the French Open, starts on Monday. "We feel our best chance to win a Slam is at the French. We are going in with confidence," Bhupathi said.