Mikhail Kukushkin beat Viktor Troicki 7-5 6-2 6-4 as Kazakhstan tied Serbia 1-1 after the first day of their Davis Cup first-round tie on Friday.
Kukuskhin, who dominated Troicki throughout the match, says his victory could pave the way for a surprise win against the 2010 champion.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won the first point for Serbia by defeating Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-1 6-2 6-3.
Djokovic, who overcame eye infections to play then seemed bothered by a sore shoulder, faced only one break point - in the third set.
"I lost some of the momentum in the third set, but it was enough to win the match," Djokovic said.
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Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic are slated to play in Saturday's doubles against Andrey Golubev and Nedovyesov.
