Indians play the right opening move

The top seeds, finalists in the 1997 edition, came here after a highly forgettable campaign last year when they lost their first two matches and then withdrew because of injuries.

This year, the Indians had a mixed season. Failing to defend five of the six titles they won in 1998, including two Super 9 events, Paes-Bhupathi won two Grand Slams from four finals.

The championship will be played in the round-robin format with two teams from each group — Gold and Green — making it to the semifinals.

Playing in Gold Group with relatively easy opponents, Paes and Bhupathi should have an easy path to the last-four stage.

South African Elis Ferreira and American Rick Leach, and Wayne Black (Zimbabwe)/Sandone Stolle (Australia) are the other pairs in their group.

The Woodies — Australians Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge — head the Green Group comprising US Open champions Sebastien Lareau and Alex O’Brien, South Africans David Adams/John Laffnie de Jager and Paul Haarhuis/Jared Palmer.

In other action, Leach-Ferreira beat Sandon Stolle and Wayne Black 6-3 6-2 to join Paes-Bhupathi at the top of the Gold Group.

Ferreira and Leach, world ranked No 3, won the last five games of the second set to coast to victory.

In the Green Group, the second-seeded Woodies won their opening match 6-4 6-2 against American Jared Palmer and Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands.

Haarhuis and his fellow countryman Jacco Eltingh paired up last year to win the 1998 World Doubles. Eltingh has since hung up his racquet.

The Haarhuis-Palmer pair, seeded seventh, reached the Wimbledon doubles final before losing to Paes-Bhupathi in a tough five-setter.

US Open champions Lareau-O’Brien, the fourth seeds, beat South Africans Adams-Laffnie de Jager 6-2 7-6 (7-5) and now have a chance to avenge their 1996 World Doubles final defeat to the Woodies.