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| February 11, 2007 | Sunday | Muharram 22, 1428 |
Aussies, US in Davis Cup survival battles
PARIS, Feb 10: Australia and the US, with 59 Davis Cup triumphs between them, were battling to keep their 2007 title hopes on track on Friday.
Australia, proud winners on 28 occasions, were in the most precarious position slumping to a 2-0 deficit against Belgium while the Americans were 1-1 with the Czech Republic.
Defending champions Russia boasted the most impressive display on the opening day of the World Group first round by taking a 2-0 lead against Chile on the South Americans’ home turf.
Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt slumped to a 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Kristof Vliegen in Liege as Australia suffered a nightmare start.
Hewitt last played on clay in September when Australia were defeated 5-0 by Argentina.
Vliegen emerged victorious after a gruelling four hour, 18-minute battle.
Pint-sized Olivier Rochus then saw off Chris Guccione 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 to give Belgium a 2-0 lead and one foot in the quarter-finals.
In the Czech mining of Ostrava, Andy Roddick gave the US a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic beating unheralded Ivo Minar, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. But then Tomas Berdych saw off James Blake 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 to leave the tie finely-balanced ahead of the doubles.
The US, Davis Cup champions 31 times, have been without as title since 1995, their longest drought in the tournament's history. “At one stage it was looking a bit dicey,” said world number four Roddick after his win over the world number 160 on the slow, red clay surface which usually takes the bite out of his big serve.
At La Serena in Chile, Marat Safin, who won the crucial final rubber against Argentina in December to give Russia the title, put in an immaculate display to see off Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
The Russians then went 2-0 ahead when Igor Andreev, a late replacement for the injured Dmitry Tursunov, put behind his year of injury misery to beat Australian Open runner-up Fernando Gonzalez 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Massu had never previously lost a Davis Cup singles rubber in Chile but Safin was in great form, converting six of seven break point opportunities and producing just ten unforced errors.
In Geneva, Spain, who saw Rafael Nadal limp out of contention after injuring his right thigh in training, were 1-1 with Switzerland.
Marco Chiudinelli beat Nadal's replacement Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) before David Ferrer levelled the tie defeating Stephane Bohli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Guillermo Canas continued his comeback from a doping suspension when he helped give Argentina a 2-0 lead over Austria in Linz. Canas saw off left-hander Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-4. Jose Acasuso had earlier seen off Stefan Koubek 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 6-4 as Argentina, the 2006 runners-up, took a firm grip.
Sebastien Grosjean battled back from two sets down to beat Andrei Pavel 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 and give France a 2-0 lead against Romania in Clermont-Ferrand.
Richard Gasquet had given the hosts the first point with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Victor Hanescu.
Croatia, the 2005 champions, were 1-1 with Germany in Krefeld. Tommy Haas beat Mario Ancic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 before Ivan Ljubicic levelled the tie seeing off Benjamin Becker 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
In Minsk, Sweden swept to a 2-0 lead over Belarus. The 31-year-old veteran Thomas Johansson produced 18 aces to beat Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 after Robin Soderling had seen off Vladimir Voltchkov 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.
Friday’s results
World Group (first round):
Chile 0 Russia 2: Marat Safin (RUS) bt Nicolas Massu (CHI) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
France 2 Romania 0: Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Andrei Pavel (ROM) 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Germany 1 Croatia 1: Tommy Haas (GER) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
Belgium 2 Australia 0: Kristof Vliegen (BEL) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Chris Guccione (AUS) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.
Czech Republic 1 US 1: Andy Roddick (US) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt James Blake (US) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.
Switzerland 1 Spain 1: Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2); David Ferrer (ESP) bt Stephane Bohli (SUI) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Sweden 2 Belarus 0: Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Vladimir Voltchkov (BLR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1; Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Austria 0 Argentina 2: Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, 6-4; Guillermo Canas (ARG) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-4.
Americas zone Group 1 (first round):
Peru 2 Venezuela 0: Luis Horna (PER) bt Jhonnathan Medina (VEN) 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; Ivan Miranda (PER) bt Johny Romero (VEN) 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
Canada 2 Colombia 0: Frank Dancevic (CAN) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3; Frederic Niemeyer (CAN) bt Allejandro Falla (COL) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Asia/Oceania zone Group 1 (first round):
Taiwan 1 Thailand 1: Danai Udomchoke (THA) bt Hsin-Han Lee (TPE) 6-1, 6-1, 6-2; Ti Chen (TPE) bt Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (10/12), 6-1, 6-3.
China 0 Japan 2: Yuichi Sugita (JPN) bt Xin-Yuan Yu (CHN) 7-6 (7/5), 0-6, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4; Go Soeda (JPN) bt Peng Sun (CHN) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).
Uzbekistan 2 India 0: Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Vivek Shokeen (IND) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Farrukh Dustov (UZB) bt Karan Rastogi (IND) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
South Korea 2 Kazakhstan 0: Jun Woong-Sun (KOR) bt Alexey Kedriouk (KAZ) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4; Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) bt Syrym Abdukhalikov (KAZ) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 (first round):
Israel 2 Luxembourg 0: Noam Okun (ISR) bt Gilles Kremer (LUX) 6-0, 6-0, 6-1; Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1).
Georgia 2 Portugal 0: Irakli Labadze (GEO) bt Rui Machado (POR) 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Lado Chikhladze (GEO) bt Federico Gil (POR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4. –AFP
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