(CNN) -- Davis Cup holders Serbia are tied at 1-1 with India after the opening singles rubbers, as they began the defence of their title in less than convincing fashion.
Viktor Troicki gave Serbia the lead in Novi Sad, but he was taken all the way by Rohan Bopanna, eventually scraping a 6-3 6-3 5-7 3-6 6-3 victory.
However, Davis Cup specialist Janko Tipsarevic, the world number 45, was then stunned 7-5 7-5 7-6 by world No.93 Somdev Devvarman to bring unfancied India level.
With world number three Novak Djokovic deciding not to play, Serbia now face a real battle to reach the last eight of the competition.
Defending champions Serbia without Djokovic
Elsewhere, last year's beaten finalists France got their 2011 Davis Cup campaign off to a winning start as they took a 2-0 lead over Austria in Vienna.
Playing their World Group, first round match in a converted airport hangar on the outskirts of the city, world No. 55 Jeremy Chardy opened proceedings with a surprise 7-5 6-4 7-5 win over 10th-ranked Jurgen Melzer.
Former top-10 player Giles Simon then made it two wins out of two for France as he beat world No. 206 Stefan Koubek 6-0 6-2 6-3.
The 2009 champions Spain also made a perfect start in their tie against Belgium in Charleroi, with wins for Fernando Verdasco and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal.
World No. 9 Verdasco eased past 51-ranked Xavier Malisse 6-4 6-3 6-1, while Nadal -- playing in his first match since the Australian Open -- beat Ruben Bemelmans 6-2 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile, world No. 4 Robin Soderling got Sweden off to a perfect start against Russia in Boras, beating Igor Andreev 6-3 6-3 6-1.
And the host nation made it 2-0 when Joachim Johansson, playing just his fourth competitive match in 16 months, secured a 6-3 7-6 6-4 victory over Teymuraz Gabashvili.
In Zagreb, Croatia and Germany are locked together at 1-1 after the opening singles. Marin Cilic gave the home side the perfect start with a hard-fought 4-6 6-0 4-6 6-3 6-1 victory over Florian Mayer.
But the visitors levelled when Philipp Kohlschreiber saved a match point on his way to defeating Ivan Dodig 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 6-4.
Argentina look poised to reach the last eight after taking a 2-0 advantage over Romania in Buenos Aires.
David Nalbandian set them on their way with a 6-3 6-2 5-7 6-4 success over Adrian Ungur and Juan Monaco doubled their lead with a 7-6 1-6 6-1 6-1 win over Victor Hanescu.
Elsewhere in the quarterfinals of the WTA Malaysia Open, fifth seed Lucie Safarova followed up her win over former world No.1 Dinara Safina with a straight sets victory over 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli of France.
The Czech world No. 35 beat second seed Bartoli 6-1 6-4, to set up a last four clash with Australian fourth seed Jarmila Groth.
World No. 31 Groth came through a tough three set battle with Japanese sixth seed Ayumi Morita, eventually winning 7-5 3-6 7-5.
In the other half of the draw fellow-Australian Jelena Dokic continued on her comeback trail with a 7-6 6-2 win over eighth-seeded Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski.
Next up for unseeded Dokic is world No. 150 Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, who defeated Luxembourg qualifier Anne Kremer 6-2 6-3.
source: cnn.com
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