DAVIS CUP 2005

[Sureña]

World Group 2005 - 1st Round

Slovak Republic vs Spain 4 - 1 > Details

Karol BECK (SVK) 6 7 6
Feliciano LOPEZ (ESP) 4 5 3

Dominik HRBATY (SVK) 6 6 6 (7) 6
Fernando VERDASCO (ESP) 3 4 7 3

Karol BECK / Michal MERTINAK (SVK) 7 6 7
Albert COSTA / Rafael NADAL (ESP) 6 (3) 4 6 (8)

Michal MERTINAK (SVK) 6 6 (3) 6
Feliciano LOPEZ (ESP) 0 7 4

Kamil CAPKOVIC (SVK) 2 2
Fernando VERDASCO (ESP) 6 6


Switzerland vs Netherlands 2 - 3 > Details

Marco CHIUDINELLI (SUI) 6 (4) 6 3 7 2
Sjeng SCHALKEN (NED) 7 4 6 5 6

Stanislas WAWRINKA (SUI) 6 (12) 7 6 (7) 4
Peter WESSELS (NED) 7 6 (4) 7 6

Yves ALLEGRO / George BASTL (SUI) 5 4 7 7 9
VAN SCHEPPINGEN / WESSELS (NED) 7 6 6 (5) 5 7

Stanislas WAWRINKA (SUI) 6 2 4 6 7
Sjeng SCHALKEN (NED) 1 6 6 2 9

Marco CHIUDINELLI (SUI) 4 Retired
Peter WESSELS (NED) 6 Retired


Australia vs Austria 5 - 0 > Details

Lleyton HEWITT (AUS) 6 6 6
Alexander PEYA (AUT) 2 3 4

Wayne ARTHURS (AUS) 7 6 6
Jurgen MELZER (AUT) 6 (5) 2 4

Wayne ARTHURS / Todd WOODBRIDGE (AUS) 4 6 2 6 7
Julian KNOWLE / Jurgen MELZER (AUT) 6 3 6 4 5

Todd WOODBRIDGE (AUS) 6 4 7
Marco MIRNEGG (AUT) 3 6 5

Chris GUCCIONE (AUS) 6 6
Alexander PEYA (AUT) 3 4

Argentina vs Czech Republic 5 - 0 > Details

David NALBANDIAN (ARG) 4 6 6 6
Jiri NOVAK (CZE) 6 2 3 4

Guillermo CORIA (ARG) 6 3 6 6
Tomas BERDYCH (CZE) 3 6 0 3

Guillermo CANAS / David NALBANDIAN (ARG) 6 4 6 6
Jan HERNYCH / Tomas ZIB (CZE) 3 6 1 2

Guillermo CORIA (ARG) 6 6
Jan HERNYCH (CZE) 3 0

Agustin CALLERI (ARG) 6 6
Tomas ZIB (CZE) 2 4


Russia vs Chile 4 - 1 > Details

Mikhail YOUZHNY (RUS) 6 (4) 7 3 6 (4)
Fernando GONZALEZ (CHI) 7 5 6 7

Marat SAFIN (RUS) 6 3 6 7
Adrian Sr. GARCIA (CHI) 1 6 3 6 (4)

Marat SAFIN / Mikhail YOUZHNY (RUS) 6 6 6
Adrian Sr. GARCIA / Fernando GONZALEZ (CHI) 3 4 3

Marat SAFIN (RUS) 7 7 1 6 (3) 6
Fernando GONZALEZ (CHI) 6 (4) 6 (5) 6 7 4

Nikolay DAVYDENKO (RUS) 6 6
Paul CAPDEVILLE (CHI) 2 1


France vs Sweden 3 - 2 > Details

Paul-Henri MATHIEU (FRA) 6 6 6
Joachim JOHANSSON (SWE) 3 4 2

Sebastien GROSJEAN (FRA) 4 4 6 (1)
Thomas JOHANSSON (SWE) 6 6 7

Arnaud CLEMENT / Michael LLODRA (FRA) 7 6 6 (4) 6
Simon ASPELIN / Jonas BJORKMAN (SWE) 6 (5) 4 7 4

Sebastien GROSJEAN (FRA) 6 1 4 1
Joachim JOHANSSON (SWE) 3 6 6 6

Paul-Henri MATHIEU (FRA) 6 6 6 (4) 6
Thomas JOHANSSON (SWE) 1 4 7 4

Romania vs Belarus 3 - 2 > Details

Victor HANESCU (ROM) 6 (6) 4 6 4
Max MIRNYI (BLR) 7 6 3 6

Andrei PAVEL (ROM) 6 7 7
Vladimir VOLTCHKOV (BLR) 4 6 (2) 6 (2)

Andrei PAVEL / Gabriel TRIFU (ROM) 6 (3) 3 4
Max MIRNYI / Vladimir VOLTCHKOV (BLR) 7 6 6

Andrei PAVEL (ROM) 6 7 4 6
Max MIRNYI (BLR) 1 6 (0) 6 3

Victor HANESCU (ROM) 7 6 7
Vladimir VOLTCHKOV (BLR) 6 (2) 4 6 (6)

USA vs Croatia 2 - 3 > Details

Andre AGASSI (USA) 3 6 (0) 3
Ivan LJUBICIC (CRO) 6 7 6

Andy RODDICK (USA) 4 6 6 6
Mario ANCIC (CRO) 6 2 1 4

Bob BRYAN / Mike BRYAN (USA) 6 6 (8) 4 4
Mario ANCIC / Ivan LJUBICIC (CRO) 3 7 6 6

Andy RODDICK (USA) 6 3 6 (11) 7 2
Ivan LJUBICIC (CRO) 4 6 7 6 (7) 6

Bob BRYAN (USA) 6 3 6
Roko KARANUSIC (CRO) 2 6 1


Congratulations to Laury for Nalbandian, Ale for Coria, Nicki and Lisa(I dont remember if lisa likes marat jeje)for Marat, and sorry Natu for Roddick
Well, congratulations to everyone who her/his fave player or country is alive in the Davis Cup. Good luck!

[Sureña]

Spain and USA Suffer Shock Defeats

Spain and USA, who contested last year’s Davis Cup final in December, both suffered shock first round defeats as the 2005 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas got underway last weekend. Defending champion Spain was missing key players in its 4-1 defeat by Slovak Republic away in Bratislava, but a full-strength USA team lost 3-2 to Croatia at home in Carson, California, thanks to the individual efforts of Ivan Ljubicic.

Netherlands, Australia, Argentina, Russia, France and Romania also scored World Group first round victories, with France and Romania both winning deciding fifth rubbers to secure their place in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, to be held over the weekend of 15-17 July, Slovak Republic hosts Netherlands, Australia is at home to Argentina, Russia hosts France and Croatia is at home to Romania.

Highlights from all World Group ties will be available at www.daviscup.tv from Tuesday morning GMT. Just US$10 buys you a season ticket for the whole year, enabling you to watch highlights from every World Group tie played in 2005.

Ivan Ljubicic was arguably the star of the weekend as Croatia inflicted the USA’s first-ever first round defeat on home soil. The 25-year-old won three points for his team, including a decisive 64 36 76(11) 67(7) 62 victory over Andy Roddick in the fourth rubber. Earlier he had spoiled Andre Agassi’s return to Davis Cup play and then teamed up with Mario Ancic to end Bob and Mike Bryan’s unbeaten doubles record in the competition.

“This is going to be huge at home and around the world,” Ljubicic said. “To beat Andre, the Bryans and Roddick in three days, it’s a great effort.”<br>
In Bratislava, Slovak Republic needed only two days to end Spain’s reign as champion nation, the second occasion Spain has lost in the first round following its title success. Karol Beck and Dominik Hrbaty scored comfortable singles victories on the opening day, before Beck partnered Michal Mertinak to a 76(3) 64 76(8) win over Albert Costa and Rafael Nadal.

“This is the first time I have the chance to taste this joy and it really feels great,” Beck said afterwards.

Romania provided the comeback of the round, fighting off a 2-1 deficit to defeat last year’s losing semifinalist Belarus in Brasov. Andrei Pavel drew the teams level with a 61 76 46 63 defeat of opposing No. 1 Max Mirnyi, before Victor Hanescu saw off Vladimir Voltchkov 76 64 76. France also a needed a fifth rubber to defeat Sweden in Strasbourg, Paul-Henri Mathieu defeating Thomas Johansson 61 64 67(4) 64 to erase memories of his fifth rubber defeat in the 2002 Final.

The most fluctuating contest came in Fribourg, where Netherlands defeated Switzerland 3-2. Yves Allegro and George Bastl kept the hosts in the tie, saving three match points in a five-set doubles victory over Dennis Van Scheppingen and Peter Wessels. Sjeng Schalken then sealed Netherlands’ victory, saving four match points to defeat Stanislas Wawrinka 16 62 64 26 97 for his second five-set win of the weekend.

Marat Safin contributed three points in Russia’s 4-1 victory over Chile, although he needed five sets to defeat Fernando Gonzalez in the decisive fourth rubber. Australia, led by Lleyton Hewitt, eased to a 5-0 victory over Austria on grass in Sydney, while Argentina also enjoyed a 5-0 whitewash of Czech Republic in Buenos Aires.

The eight first round losers, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Chile, Sweden, Belarus and USA will contest the World Group Play-offs on 23-25 September in a bid to preserve their status in the top division. They will be joined by eight qualifiers from Group 1 of the regional Zones, with Germany and Great Britain the first two nations to qualify.

Slovak Republic Completes 4-1 Victory

There was one thing Miloslav Mecir and Jordi Arrese agreed before the first round encounter between Slovak Republic and Spain – they didn’t expect the tie to be over by Saturday. While the Spanish captain thought it would be all square after the first day, the Slovak captain was afraid that the Spaniards could take both rubbers.

Neither prediction came true, with the host nation taking a 2-0 lead on the opening day. Karol Beck was too strong for Spanish No. 1 Feliciano Lopez, winning in straight sets 64 75 63, before Dominik Hrbaty defeated Fernando Verdasco 63 64 67(7) 63.
Arrese still believed the Spaniards could turn the contest around, but Albert Costa and Rafael Nadal were outplayed 76(3) 64 76(8) by Beck and Michal Mertinak, a tactical replacement for Hrbaty.

It was time for the Slovak flags to fly high in Bratislava's National Tennis Centre. Beck and Mertinak received a champagne shower from Hrbaty, whose face was painted with the national emblem, and the still-injured Karol Kucera, who supported his colleagues throughout the weekend. Then the whole Slovak team in their national ice hockey team jerseys threw Beck into the air.

With a big smile on his face. Mecir said: "Already to be in the World Group of the Davis Cup is the great achievement. To be among the eight best teams in the world is almost a dream come true. I hope the third time will be the lucky one and we will make it to the semis for the very first time."

Beck, the hero of the tie, couldn’t hide his satisfaction: "I am really proud of myself for what I’ve done this weekend. It is a great joy to play that way in front of the home crowd."

Slovak Republic will face the Netherlands at home in the quarterfinals on 15-17 July.

It is a case of history repeating itself for Spain. After it won its first Davis Cup title in 2000 it lost in the opening round of the 2001 competition against the Netherlands in Eindhoven. As in Eindhoven, Spain lost its title within two days.

Costa once again proved to be graceful in defeat. "I was really surprised at the high level at which Beck, Hrbaty and Mertinak performed. All I could do is to congratulate them for the great job they’ve done this weekend."

Arrese said: "The fast surface is not an excuse. The Slovak players played very well and they deserved to win. Of course it is very disappointing for us to lose in the first round especially because we all remember very well how good it felt last December when we won in Seville. Now we have to put our forces together to stay in the World Group,”

In Sunday’s dead rubbers, Arese stuck with his original nominations, while Mecir gave a chance to Michal Mertinak and Kamil Capkovic.

Once again the Slovak captain was not disappointed as Mertinak, world ranked No. 186, took on Feliciano Lopez, ranked No. 21. The 25-year-old Slovak was not bothered by this huge ranking gap, defeating the Spanish lefthander 60 67(3) 64. “I am very pleased with my performance. I actually haven’t beaten a higher-ranked player than Feliciano. So in this aspect this could be the best win of my career.”<br>
Lopez said: "These are two matches I want to forget as soon as possible. But this happens sometimes in tennis. We all gave our best, but unfortunately we faced a better opponent. But it is not a tragedy. There are still more important things in life."

Consolation came for in the fifth rubber of the tie, in which Verdasco defeated the 19-year-old Davis Cup freshman Kamil Capkovic 62 62 to leave the final scoreline at 4-1 in Slovak Republic's favour.

[Sureña]

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic Completes Personal and National Triumph

Some players leap into the air, some fall to the ground, others are mobbed by their teammates. The moment of victory brings mixed reactions, but when Ivan Ljubicic completed a remarkable weekend with a five-sets win over Andy Roddick to see Croatia through to the quarterfinals, he just spread his arms wide, and smiled beatifically to the darkening Californian skies.

That smile summed up the tall 25-year-old Croat, who has waited several years for his immense talent to flower. It wasn’t just his weight of shot, his astute use of the court, and his physical endurance which saw him to three victories over one of the best teams ever to be paraded in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. What counted for more was his calmness under pressure, his unwillingness to be fazed by a passionate final day crowd, and his ability to think his way through a match against a man who had beaten him the previous five times they had played.

Ljubicic could have been forgiven for losing the match he eventually won 46 63 76(11) 67(7) 62 in three minutes under four hours. He had battled for two hours six minutes to beat Andre Agassi on Friday, he needed two hours 41 in the doubles with Mario Ancic to beat the Bryan brothers on Saturday, and coming on top of four finals this year, the tank could have been running on empty.

But just at the point where Roddick seemed to have taken a hold on the match after taking the fourth set tiebreak 9-7 on a Ljubicic double fault, it was the Croat who raised his level, winning the first eight points of the final set, and breaking a second time to win by a reasonable distance.

“Today I felt really good,” he said. “I could go forever, I had the feeling. My knee was bothering me in the beginning of the fifth, but physically I felt like the muscles were pretty good.”<br>
Roddick knew he and his team had missed their chances. “You can go to any number of points,” he said, “you can go back to one point in the doubles yesterday, you can go back to one point today in the tiebreaker in the second set. There are many specific points that didn’t go our way this weekend, but that’s the nature of it. We didn’t go out and take them.”<br>
A break in the fifth game gave Roddick the first set, but just as Ljubicic seemed to be tiring in the second, Roddick gifted him four points for a 5-4 lead, and after 80 minutes the match was level.

Ljubicic got the first break of the third set, but Roddick bounced back, as the scoreboard failed to keep track of an absorbing set. At one stage the umpire Lars Graff had to improvise, telling the crowd: “Even if the scoreboard isn’t working properly, please try to enjoy the match.” It was hard not to, as the players moved into a tiebreak which did justice to the drama of the Davis Cup. Agassi led 4-1, but was brought back to 4-4. Each man had three set points, but neither could break through. Then at 12-11 Roddick put an in-to-out forehand just into the tramlines, and the set was Ljubicic’s.

If Roddick missed his chance then, he had two more at 2-2 in the fourth. On the second break point, he had a mid-court backhand with Ljubicic at the net. When it went into the net, many must have wondered if this just was not the home team’s day. Roddick persisted in making life difficult for himself in the tiebreak, squandering four set points, before watching in relief as Ljubicic double-faulted at 7-8.

But at the turning point Roddick had worked so hard for, the match didn’t turn. Ljubicic found new energy, Roddick looked tired, and when he missed three break points at 2-1, his last chance had gone.

Asked how the win would go down in Croatia, Ljubicic said: “I imagine it’s going to be huge, but not only at home, I think all around the world. It’s big news to beat Andre, the Bryans and Roddick in three days. It’s amazing.”<br>
The win gives Ljubicic a remarkable 6-0 record against Americans in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. He won his three matches in the 2003 first round against a weakened US team, and he has won all three now. “I came here just wanting to win one,” he admitted, adding that this weekend confirms his belief that he really does belong with the elite of world tennis.

It was the first time the USA had ever lost a first round tie at home, and it probably ends Andre Agassi’s Davis Cup career. He asked to be replaced in the final dead singles by Bob Bryan who defeated Roko Karanusic who replaced Mario Ancic 62 36 61.

Mathieu the Hero as France Wins

In electric scenes in Strasbourg, Paul-Henri Mathieu won the decisive fifth rubber against Thomas Johansson to hand France a place in the quarterfinals. The Frenchman's 61 64 67(4) 64 victory over the 2002 Australian Open champion gave his country the vital third point of the weekend, and helped erase the pain of losing in five sets in the fifth rubber of France's clash with Russia in the 2002 Davis Cup Final.

France now travels to Russia in July, in a rematch of that 2002 final.

Mathieu started off the match with a very high level of intensity and was extremely confident. He served a love game; Johansson on the other hand had more trouble winning his serve. The tone of the match was set, as Mathieu was playing inside the court moving forward, while Johansson had no choice but defend the best he could although there was not much to be done versus an on-fire Mathieu. The Frenchman took his opponent’s serve two consecutive times and won the first set 61.

Mathieu was now in full flight, although Johansson was far from being embarrassed. Both players held their serve until the seventh game of the second set. Johansson started that game off with a double fault which gave Mathieu a glimpse at a break. The glimpse became reality three points later when the Swede lost his service game without clocking up a single point. The following service game for Mathieu was spotless as Mathieu took a 5-3 lead.

Johansson held his own in the next game, but there was no stopping “Polo”. The Strasbourg native was producing text-book tennis, solid from the back court, hitting winners and serving perfectly. And after an hour and 23 minutes of play, France was only a set away from a quarterfinal meeting with Russia. However everyone remembered the fifth rubber of the 2002 Davis Cup Final in Paris between France and Russia - Mathieu had been two-sets-to-love up over Mikhail Youzhny when he got struck by lightning. Would history repeat itself?

No, by the look of the first game of the third set, as Johansson was immediately broken. The Swede needed to react or else, so he did, and broke back instantly to tie the third set at one game all. At two games all, Johansson fought off two break points but not three, and Mathieu once again went ahead 3-2 and then 4-2 to the applause of a frantic crowd, waiting for their boy to give France the winning point.

Serves were held up to 5-3. Johansson started the ninth game off with a double fault, but despite the pressure, the Swede held his serve. Mathieu was now serving for the match. He was nervous, understandably so, and was not able to cope. Johansson was able to save two match points, and broke the Frenchman to give Sweden another chance. Both players proceeded to hold their serve and force a tiebreaker. At 3-2 in the tiebreak, Mathieu served a double fault, and Johansson capitalised to win the set.

Johansson took on his opponent's serve in the third game of the fourth set for a 3-1 lead. He preserved his advantage until 4-3, when Mathieu broke back to tie it all up at 4-4. Showing mental strength, the Frenchman was now playing again as he did in the first two sets, dictating play deep into the Johansson court, sending him left and right. Mathieu stood strong, and two match points later, France had clinched a quarterfinal spot, and Paul-Henri had broken the curse of losing a match after leading two-sets-to-love.

The quarterfinals will be in Russia in July. Between then and now many things can happen. One thing is sure; the tie will have a theme of revenge, as on one side standing tall will be Marat Safin and Youzhny. And everyone remembers what happened last time…<br>
“It was great to win this match, in front of my home crowd, and to be able to give the decisive point to my team” said Mathieu. “ Our team is a real team and that is why we are strong,” he continued. “There is no other competition that can make me feel so good or so bad.”<br>

[Sureña]

Hanescu Brings Joy to Romania

Victor Hanescu defeated Vladimir Voltchkov in straight sets 76(2) 64 76(6) to give Romania a place in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal. After Andrei Pavel beat Max Mirnyi several hours before, this fifth match was decisive in determining the winner of the whole tie.

Hanescu felt encouraged before the start of the match after Pavel's impressive victory. He began by playing aggressively and made an early break, but Voltchkov broke back for 4-5. The Belarusian levelled the score at 6-6, but lost in a tiebreak.

The second set was a little easier for Hanescu. Supported by 2,000 fans in the stands of the Popescu Colibasi arena, the Romanian played perfectly both at the net and on the baseline. He allowed Voltchkov to break in the ninth game, but had no big problems in taking the set 64.

Each of the five rubbers in the tie in Brasov featured at least one tiebreaker. The last one (but not the least for the Romanians) took place in the third set of the decisive match, and once again Voltchkov was unlucky. After leading 2-0 and 4-1, the Belarusian made some errors and let Hanescu clinch the match with a spectacular ace.

"I am very happy. It was probably the best match of my life," Hanescu said. "My match was decisive, but first of all we should thank our devoted fans for this great success. Of course, Pavel winning the match against Mirnyi gave me a big moral boost. I examined Voltchkov's play during the first two days quite well, so I felt relaxed from the beginning of the match. I started this season very well and hope that I am going to keep in good shape."

Romania has reached the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal for the first time since 1983, when the legendary Ilie Nastase and the present team captain Florin Segarcianu were still playing. This season, the Romanians dream about going even further. "Last year Belarus [who reached the semifinals] showed that anything is possible in Davis Cup clashes," Segarcianu said. "But now we must concentrate on the next round, no matter who our opponent is going to be."

In the quarterfinals, to be played 15-17 July, Romania will play either USA or Croatia, in either case on the opposing team’s court. Croatia leads after two days of that first round tie in Carson, California, but everything will be decided in the reverse singles match later on Sunday. "So far, it doesn't really matter who we are going to encounter," the Romanian captain said. "We must get prepared to play any opponent."


Safin Takes Russia Through

It’s never a matter of simplicity with Russia’s Marat Safin. The Russian star, fresh from adding a second Grand Slam title at the 2005 Australian Open, made things interesting against Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez on Sunday before he single-handedly earned Russia a spot in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinals with a hard-fought 76(4) 76(5)16 67(3)64 win over a battling Gonzalez in three hours, 36 minutes at Moscow's Olympic Stadium.

Safin’s stirring win gave the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead and Nikolay Davydenko then rounded out the victory with a quick 62 61 dispatching of Chile’s Paul Capdeville in the ensuing dead singles rubber to give Russia a 4-1 victory.

The Russians advance to play France or Sweden in the quarterfinal round in July.

Safin banged out 20 aces and won two of the three tiebreakers the pair played, and that was the key to the match. Gonzalez competed gamely, serving 18 aces of his own and made a spirited comeback from two sets down to force a decisive fifth set.

The capacity Russian crowd cheered Safin on and also threw a few tips his way.

“Oh, yes, they were giving me a lot of advice today,” Safin said. “Stay focused!”, “Relax !” and “Flex your knees!” were just a few of the pointers nervous onlookers threw Safin’s way, according to his post-match translation.

Safin is a phenomenally talented player who dazzles off-court as well with his command of Russian, Spanish and English. But he looked particularly drained after carrying Russia’s hopes on his back this weekend, helping to earn all three points the Russians needed to win, winning both his singles matches and partnering Mikhail Youzhny to a win in Saturday’s doubles.

“I felt a really big relief after because everyone’s happy,” said a weary Safin.

“I was not having a great time on the court today. It’s of course easier playing for yourself than playing for your country because I can play much better tennis than this weekend.”<br>
Gonzalez carried an equally large burden with an injured Nicolas Massu held out of the competition.

“Coming back from 0-2 down against Marat is too much. He gave me a chance in the third set and I took it but in the fifth I gave him the chance.”<br>
“But I think this will help us in the future—especially me,” Gonzalez added. “And I played good tennis here—when I play for Chile I play much better.”<br>
But it’s Russia that moves on after an eventful weekend in Moscow and Safin, for one, has a clear preference as to a quarterfinal opponent.

“We would prefer to play France because we will be at home,” said the man with a very deserved last word.

[Sureña]

Argentina Makes it a Clean Sweep

Argentina extended its victory over the Czechs to 5-0 on Sunday with Guillermo Coria defeating Jan Hernych 63 60 and Agustin Calleri defeating Tomas Zib 62 64 in the dead reverse singles matches.

Argentina will now travel to Australia for a blockbusting tie in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal round in July.

Despite the outcome already being decided this weekend in Buenos Aires, Coria could by no means miss the chance of playing Davis Cup once more in front of his public. The world No. 5 did not have a good start though, losing his serve to an inspired Hernych in the first game. Hernych was moving Coria all around the court, hitting back with incredible angles, at least for the six first games.

From then on it was the Argentine who, now focused, adjusted his weapons and displayed all his talent, mostly from the baseline. He broke the Czech five times, thus closing the match 63 60 - a quick and decisive victory which made the tie 4-0 for the locals.

After the match Coria pointed out, "This Davis Cup weekend, together with the Buenos Aires tournament, have been my two best moments since I started playing tennis. It's impossible to describe what it feels like playing at home in front of my people… I did my best in order to win as fast as possible and to entertain the crowd. Now it's time to celebrate and enjoy this unique moment."

"I screamed so much yesterday celebrating off the court, in the players lounge with the whole team, that I lost my voice. I'd rather this moment never ended, Davis Cup is the best."

Henrych said, "Playing Davis Cup is a dream come true, but right now I have mixed feelings because I didn’t play my best tennis here. In fact I hadn't played on red clay since last year."

In the last rubber Calleri, who replaced the injured Gaston Gaudio on the team, defeated Zib 62 64 to make it a clean sweep for the hosts. When everything was over there was a second celebration on court, champagne included.

Calleri said, "It was really hot out there but luckily I could finish the match in good shape. My objective was to give my country the last point to close the tie by 5-0. I'm very glad to have been part of this team which has worked so closely and solidly this week. I'm travelling to USA tomorrow, back to the tour, but I'll never forget this week."

On Friday, David Nalbandian gave Argentina a 1-0 lead over Czech Republic, defeating Jiri Novak 46 62 63 64, playing great tennis in the last three sets. Then Coria needed barely more than two hours to win the second singles rubber against Tomas Berdych 63 36 60 63. On Saturday, Nalbandian paired with Guillermo Canas to beat Hernych and Tomas Zib 63 46 61 62 in the doubles.

After defeating Czech Republic, Argentina’s next step on the way to achieving the goal it so desires is far from simple: the South Americans will now face big Australia, possibly on grass, where the Aussies are experts. A challenge for Argentina.

Argentine captain Alberto Mancini declared, "We have a tough tie ahead, but we have players who certainly can adapt their game to grass, such as Wimbledon finalist Nalbandian, and Coria, who reached an ATP final last year on grass. Anyway, if the team keeps on working together as a united and joyful team as it has been doing, working for a common objective, we certainly can give a rough battle to anyone on any surface."

Australia, for its part, downed Austria 5-0, but not without some difficulties in the singles rubbers and a very tight 75 in the fifth set of the doubles, Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge fighting to the ultimate point against Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer. As it looks, anything can happen.

Australia and Argentina have confronted each other on three occasions so far in Davis Cup. The first time was in 1977, in the World Group semifinals in Buenos Aires, where Phil Dent and John Alexander beat Guillermo Vilas and Ricardo Cano en route to a 3-2 victory. The second encounter took place in Australia in 1990, this time with current captain Mancini, Martin Jaite, Cristian Miniussi and Javier Frana falling 5-0 to the locals. And the nations played most recently in 2002 in Buenos Aires, Argentina defeating Australia 5-0 with Canas, Gaston Gaudio and Lucas Arnold beating Scott Draper, Andrew Ilie, Arthurs and Woodbridge.

If the two nations are able to count on their best artillery, we are likely to witness an emotional tie played to a very high standard on 15-17 July.

[Sureña]

Schalken Overcomes Wawrinka To Put Dutch Into Quarters

After yet another thriller, Sjeng Schalken gave Netherlands the vital third point against Switzerland to advance to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. Schalken however had to save four match points before coming atop 16 62 64 26 97 of Stanislas Wawrinka.

The fifth set of the match between the number ones was a nailbiter. Wawrinka, who had come back from two sets to one down, took a 4-1 lead with a double break and then had four match points on his serve at 5-4. Several times the Swiss supporters wanted to celebrate the win. Once, when a linesman called out a ball from Schalken on matchpoint, the decision was overruled by chair umpire Enric Molina. On the fourth matchpoint, Wawrinka was approaching the net in a commanding position but somehow Schalken managed to pass him with an incredible backhand slice shot from way behind the baseline. At 5-6, it was the Swiss who save two match points and at 7-6, he again served for the match but with empty batteries. After 241 minutes, a wide Wawrinka forehand sealed the tie. "It could have gone either way but the key for me was my ability to fight", Schalken said after his second full-distance win of the weekend.

Wawrinka hadn't shown the slightest sign of respect from the beginning and started off in a perfect manner. He got breaks to lead 2-0 and 5-1 and finished the first set in 23 minutes and after hitting winners from all over the baseline, and with his serve. Schalken, a veteran of 33 Davis Cup matches, has seen to much in his successful career to be too impressed however. He just as convincingly won the second set in 32 minutes, benefiting from four unforced errors from the Swiss to seal his first break for a 3-1 lead.

The third set in a high-quality contest lasted almost as long as the previous two together (51 minutes) with a better end for the more regular baseliner player from the Netherlands. Wawrinka, who was the more active player, had his chances however. In the first game he was unable to convert seven breakpoints, three of them being rather easy shots. Those who expected that the young Swiss' resistance might end were immediately proven wrong. The 2003 French Open junior champion, was able to raise his game a notch and reduce the number of "free points" for Schalken. Winning the set 6-2, he tied the match at two sets all also thanks to the continuous support of captain Marc Rosset, before he lost the epic fifth set.

Although the odds before the tie were clearly for the visitors, it took the two teams 16 hours and 17 minutes to be separated. The Swiss, who had the biggest possible handicap by missing world No. 1 Roger Federer, battled hard for every point and gave their fans in a series of seasaw matches and plenty of reasons to be proud. Marco Chiudinelli, Wawrinka and the doubles composed by Yves Allegro/George Bastl played a wonderful tie and could have fared even better with a bit more luck. In fact, also both singles on the opening day left the Swiss with some slight reproaches. Chiudinelli took Schalken into a fifth set and Wawrinka was the unluckier player in the tiebreak battle against Peter Wessels 67(12) 76(4) 67(7) 46, he held setpoints in both lost sets.

Having said that, the Dutch had been within one point of closing the tie on Saturday. Peter Wessels/Dennis van Scheppingen held no less than three matchpoints before surrendering to the Swiss team after almost four and a half hours. A 0-3 defeat would have been too harsh for the young Swiss team who showed their absent leader that they are very willing to support him the best they can if he returns in the future. Federer has announced earlier that he will be probably be back on board for the relegation match.

The long weekend in Freiburg took its toll. Peter Wessels retired from his match against Marco Chiudinelli because of back problems after winning the first set 64. The final result is 3-2 for the Netherlands. The team will travel to the Slovak Republic in July.

Despite of getting a second point, the majority of the supporters were a bit unhappy when Wessels, who had played eight hours of tennis on the two previous days, retire. They would have prefered to see some more tennis to give a fitting end to an unforgettable weekend. The tall Dutch player had got the only break of the set at 4-4 and then served it out.

Sjeng Schalken, who contributed majorly to winning the tie by surviving two five setters against Swiss rookies Marco Chiudinelli and Stanislas Wawrinka, would have prefered to play the next match at home: "It's always nice to play in front of our home crowd, that would have been ten to fifteen thousand spectators cheering for us." The Dutch leader hopes that he will be able in July to play even better, "I am only on my way back and not in top shape yet. But a lot of time will pass until then."

Instead of facing the reigning champion Spain, the trip to Slovak Republic also means a bigger chance to qualify for the semifinals. Dutch captain Tjerk Bogtstra is very happy with this opponent, "They have very good players but I think it is a fair draw for a second round."

As the Swiss have one more option if Roger Federer returns, also the Dutch can hope for a stronger line-up against the likes of Dominik Hrbaty and Karol Beck. Martin Verkerk showed his team spirit by joining the squad in Fribourg and also Raemon Sluiter, who didn't play because of slight injury problems, will be back on board. Bogtstra isn't too optimistic about Ververk however, "He still has his shoulder problems and progress hasn't been too good. I hope, I'll be able to use him but I'm not sure yet." In case the serve giant won't make it for the next round either, other players have to jump in. After this weekend, Bogtstra knows that they are capable of doing that. "I am very satisfied with what Dennis van Scheppingen and Peter Wessels did in their first Davis Cup tie and that makes us more confident." An interesting point will be the choice of surface. Bogtstra doesn't believe that the team of Miloslav Mecir will chose a clay court: "They don't like to play on this surface either," he said.

[Laury]

Thank you very much Lore!
It´s great to have the reports to read. I never imagine Netherlands - Suiza was so intresting!

[Sureña]

Nothing Laury ;D...I'll try to post more reports about nexts rounds!..