India's top-ranked player Rohan Bopanna will take on Japan's Moto Mara in the opening singles of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I first round tie, beginning in Delhi, on Friday.
The draw for the match, made by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence, pits Leander Paes against Takao Suzuki in other singles.
The crack doubles pair of Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, who have been pairing only for the Davis Cup, will play against the Japanese duo Jan Kato and Thomas Shinada on Saturday.
The reverse singles will be played n Sunday.
Paes goes into the match with a 38:20 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles, which includes victotries over the likes of Jakob Hlasek, Henri Leconte, Wayne Ferreira, Goran Ivanesevic and Jiri Novak. It is this record that makes India look formidable, especially since the tie is being played grass, which has always been a happy hunting ground for Indians.
The Indians will also have the mental edge, having beaten the Japanese in their last outing in an away tie in 2001.
Japan had last played in India in 1990, on grass in Chandigarh, and lost.
India has played a total of 20 Davis Cup ties in Delhi and won 14 of them. The first one was against Japan at the Gymkhana Club in 1961, which the hosts won 4-1.
The last tie played in Delhi was against South Korea, in April 2000, where Paes won the crucial reverse singles to wrap up the tie for India.
