THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- Argentina, Russia and Croatia swept their singles to be on the verge of reaching the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday. Former champions the United States, Germany and France needed comebacks to even their ties, while all the drama in the politicized Sweden-Israel match at Malmo was on the court rather than off it. Also, Spain looked like starting its title defence in the blockbuster first-round tie with Serbia on Saturday after the strong winds that damaged the temporary stadium in Benidorm subsided to allow repairs. Argentina led the Netherlands 2-0, as did Russia over Romania, and Croatia against Chile. The Argentines, whose decade-long unbeaten run at home was ended by Spain in last year's final, were given a scare when Juan Ignacio Chela took nearly four hours to beat unheralded Jesse Huta Galung 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Juan Monaco responded to the home side's shaky start by rubbing out Thiemo De Bakker 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (1). "Juan (Ignacio Chela's) win calmed my nerves and I was able to play solid tennis from the start," Monaco said. "I hope we can win the tie tomorrow in the doubles." Argentina should but not in front of its usual raucous crowd. After Juan Martin del Potro made himself unavailable and David Nalbandian withdrew sick, only about 1,500 attended the normally sold-out 14,000-seat Parque Roca Stadium. "I expected more people," Netherlands captain Jan Siemerink said. There was more than 2,000 in Sibiu to back Romania, but the Russians were too good. Marat Safin beat a spirited Victor Crivoi 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 and Mikhail Youzhny, picked ahead of Dmitry Tursunov, handled a disappointing Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 only two months after losing to Hanescu in Doha. Romania won from 2-0 down when it last met Russia in 1997 but the odds are longer this time. Without Fernando Gonzalez, Chile proved no match for host Croatia in Porec. Mario Ancic beat former Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4), and Marin Cilic earned his first Cup win at the expense of Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. At Malmo, where city officials banned spectators in heavily guarded Baltic Hall in fear of protests against Israel, the players produced a thrilling opening day's play. First, Sweden's former Australian Open champ Thomas Johansson returned from injury to beat Harel Levy 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 8-6, then Israel's Dudi Sela outlasted Andreas Vinciguerra 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to level the tie. Johansson had been out of action since October because of a foot injury, and he committed 65 unforced errors. But he made the final break at 7-6 in the fifth and served out. "I'm completely exhausted. I emptied everything I had," Johansson said with his left foot wrapped in ice. Vinciguerra saved a match point at 5-4 in the fifth set but lost serve at 9-9 and Sela finally held to end their duel. Few protesters showed up, but thousands are expected on Saturday during the doubles. In Ostrava, an impressive-serving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downed Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (1) for France to draw even with the Czech Republic after Tomas Berdych ruined Gilles Simon's Cup debut 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. The tie between last year's quarter-finalists was even but Berdych still believed the Czechs will prevail. "They may have a better team but we're more experienced in Davis Cup," he said. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Austria's hopes of a first win over its German host was set back when Philipp Kohlschreiber downed Austria No. 1 Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to even the tie at 1-1. It was Kohlschreiber's first win from sets down. Stefan Koubek beat Germany No. 1 Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the opener. In Birmingham, Alabama, Andy Roddick beat Marco Chiudinelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) for the United States to draw with Switzerland. Stanislas Wawrinka beat James Blake 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) but admitted the Swiss were still the heavy underdogs without the injured Roger Federer. "It's going to be very difficult," Wawrinka said. "In the rankings, they are better, but I knew I needed to win the first match. It was very tough. It was a very important match for the rest of the weekend." Officials were waiting until Saturday to decide whether to start the Spain-Serbia tie after winds ripped out sections of seating, but if it gets the go-ahead, third-ranked Novak Djokovic will meet Spain's David Ferrer, followed by top-ranked Rafael Nadal against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Roddick helps lead USA comeback
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- Argentina, Russia and Croatia swept their singles to be on the verge of reaching the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday. Former champions the United States, Germany and France needed comebacks to even their ties, while all the drama in the politicized Sweden-Israel match at Malmo was on the court rather than off it. Also, Spain looked like starting its title defence in the blockbuster first-round tie with Serbia on Saturday after the strong winds that damaged the temporary stadium in Benidorm subsided to allow repairs. Argentina led the Netherlands 2-0, as did Russia over Romania, and Croatia against Chile. The Argentines, whose decade-long unbeaten run at home was ended by Spain in last year's final, were given a scare when Juan Ignacio Chela took nearly four hours to beat unheralded Jesse Huta Galung 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Juan Monaco responded to the home side's shaky start by rubbing out Thiemo De Bakker 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (1). "Juan (Ignacio Chela's) win calmed my nerves and I was able to play solid tennis from the start," Monaco said. "I hope we can win the tie tomorrow in the doubles." Argentina should but not in front of its usual raucous crowd. After Juan Martin del Potro made himself unavailable and David Nalbandian withdrew sick, only about 1,500 attended the normally sold-out 14,000-seat Parque Roca Stadium. "I expected more people," Netherlands captain Jan Siemerink said. There was more than 2,000 in Sibiu to back Romania, but the Russians were too good. Marat Safin beat a spirited Victor Crivoi 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 and Mikhail Youzhny, picked ahead of Dmitry Tursunov, handled a disappointing Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 only two months after losing to Hanescu in Doha. Romania won from 2-0 down when it last met Russia in 1997 but the odds are longer this time. Without Fernando Gonzalez, Chile proved no match for host Croatia in Porec. Mario Ancic beat former Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4), and Marin Cilic earned his first Cup win at the expense of Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. At Malmo, where city officials banned spectators in heavily guarded Baltic Hall in fear of protests against Israel, the players produced a thrilling opening day's play. First, Sweden's former Australian Open champ Thomas Johansson returned from injury to beat Harel Levy 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 8-6, then Israel's Dudi Sela outlasted Andreas Vinciguerra 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to level the tie. Johansson had been out of action since October because of a foot injury, and he committed 65 unforced errors. But he made the final break at 7-6 in the fifth and served out. "I'm completely exhausted. I emptied everything I had," Johansson said with his left foot wrapped in ice. Vinciguerra saved a match point at 5-4 in the fifth set but lost serve at 9-9 and Sela finally held to end their duel. Few protesters showed up, but thousands are expected on Saturday during the doubles. In Ostrava, an impressive-serving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downed Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (1) for France to draw even with the Czech Republic after Tomas Berdych ruined Gilles Simon's Cup debut 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. The tie between last year's quarter-finalists was even but Berdych still believed the Czechs will prevail. "They may have a better team but we're more experienced in Davis Cup," he said. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Austria's hopes of a first win over its German host was set back when Philipp Kohlschreiber downed Austria No. 1 Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to even the tie at 1-1. It was Kohlschreiber's first win from sets down. Stefan Koubek beat Germany No. 1 Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the opener. In Birmingham, Alabama, Andy Roddick beat Marco Chiudinelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) for the United States to draw with Switzerland. Stanislas Wawrinka beat James Blake 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) but admitted the Swiss were still the heavy underdogs without the injured Roger Federer. "It's going to be very difficult," Wawrinka said. "In the rankings, they are better, but I knew I needed to win the first match. It was very tough. It was a very important match for the rest of the weekend." Officials were waiting until Saturday to decide whether to start the Spain-Serbia tie after winds ripped out sections of seating, but if it gets the go-ahead, third-ranked Novak Djokovic will meet Spain's David Ferrer, followed by top-ranked Rafael Nadal against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.
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