Dokic Advances in Shanghai, Davis Cup Rumors Abound, Paradorn Gears Up for Thai Open

World Group Qualifying Round Previews:

Belgium at Austria
Site: Portschach Werzer Arena, Portschach, AUT
Surface: red clay outdoors
Ball: Wilson Double Core

For history's sake, you need to know that Austria is 3-0 versus Belgium, with wins in 1933, '36, and '80. Now know that this undefeated record will come to an end. To gain the World Group playoff round, Austria squeezed by Finland in the fifth and deciding rubber in zonal play. Belgium was relegated to this playoff after getting hammered 5-0 by Spain on the red dirt in February. But the Austrian squad of Stefan Koubek and Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer is weak, and will be picked apart by the waffle team of Xavier Malisse, the Rochus brothers, and doubles specialists Tom van Houdt and Gilles Elseneer. Sorry Austria, you're going to long for the Tommy Muster era while toiling in zonal play in 2004. Maybe Tommy will make a tour comeback AND can play Davis Cup.

Brazil at Canada
Site: The Corral at Stampede Park, Calgary, CAN
Surface: Indoor Carpet (Taraflex)
Ball: Wilson US Open Regular Duty

If the Canadians had a competitive team it would be revenge time for the struggling Canucks, who were smoked 3-0 by Brazil last year on clay. The Canadians valiantly fought their way out of zonal competition in April to earn this World Group playoff round, beating Peru, but the ragtag team of Daniel Nestor, Frank Dancevic, doubles specialist Simon Larose, and youngster Matt Klinger should be no match for Guga Kuerten, Flavio "Of The Week" Saretta and the drum-beating crew anywhere in Canada, on any surface, at any time, in any dimension. Unless injury plays a part...stay tuned.

Tomorrow: World Group qualifying previews in Czech Republic at Thailand, and Belarus at Germany.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
Leg cramps and illness are great marketing tools, and Shanghai had both Tuesday in three matches in (5)Dokic (d. (Q)Jankovic, who retired in the second set with illness), American (LL)Craybas (d. (WC)Zheng, who retired in the second set with leg cramps), and to the delight of locals, advancing was Chinese (WC)Sun (d. (Q)Garbin, who retired in the second set with leg cramps). Must be something in the water. Also advancing were Spain's Sanchez Lorenzo (d. Pratt), Japan's Morigami (d. (Q)Sucha), and Germany's Barna (d. Cho).

Just when you thought someone should drop a bomb on this Asian swing, Shanghai comes up with some mildly interesting matches Wednesday in Harkleroad vs. Barna, Dinara "Sister Of" Safina vs. Jelena "I'm Not Crazy" Dokic (first meeting), Maria "Orgasmo-grunt" Sharapova vs. Loit (Loit leads 1-0, meeting at the 2003 US Open), Barbara "Don't Give a" Schett vs. Neffa-de los Rios, Morigami vs. "That Conchita" Martinez, Widjaja vs. Mandula, and Aussie comer Molik vs. American waiting-to-come Craybas.

TENNIS-X TOP 5 WEAKEST ATP No. 1s
All great, no doubt about it, but some (Pete Sampras with 286 weeks at No. 1) greater than others (Carlos Moya 2 weeks at No. 1). The Tennis-X staff breaks it down from the 21 men who have ranked No. 1 in the history of the ATP Rankings -- drumroll please:

5. Yevgeny KAFELNIKOV (RUS, 6 weeks) -- You knew he had to make the list. Rose to No. 1 in 1999 after winning the Aussie Open, but not until May of that year after multiple first-round losses, tasking the ATP with reexamining their ranking system. Known for tanking matches and not living up to his ability, he also won at Roland Garros in 1996. Would also rank No. 1 in the not-living-up-to-ability poll -- should have won every slam.
4. Marat SAFIN (RUS, 9 weeks) -- Another Russian who briefly ascended to No. 1, after winning the US Open in 2000, and was also runner-up at the Aussie Open in 2002. Lack of focus, party lifestyle and frequent injuries make this former No. 1 a bust, and after a serious wrist injury we may have seen the last of him.
3. Thomas MUSTER (AUT, 6 weeks) -- Won one career slam (never reached another slam final), shooting to No. 1 in 1996 on the strength of 18 claycourt titles in a two-year period. Career hampered by injury/car accident. Respect for Tommy the M, doin' it on the dirt almost exclusively.
2. Carlos MOYA (ESP, 2 weeks) -- On the strength of the Roland Garros and TMS-Monte Carlo titles in 1998, Moya ascended to No. 1 in 1999, a year in which he won no titles. Held the top spot for only two weeks, then took years to find his form again after various injuries.
1. Marcelo RIOS (CHI, 6 weeks) -- Ta-daaaaa! At No. 1 it's the original flayin' Chilean, the guy who "looks like he just came out of the forest" according to Martina Hingis, the guy whose best slam result was a runner-up at the Aussie Open in 1998 when he rose to No. 1 on the strength of TMS titles in Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome. The run was strong, but we're grading on slams and longevity here. Possibly due to a deal with the Dark Lord, Rios was virtually untouchable during the first six months of 1998, winning five titles in six finals, and at the TMS-Miami beating in order: Haas (R32), Ivanisevic (R16), Enqvist (QF), Henman (SF), and Agassi (F). Also beset by injuries, the surly Chilean may hang it up by year's end.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Anna Kournikova is in Taipei this week to promote Omega wrist watches and jewelry, nice career transition...Lleyton Hewitt says the hip problem he suffered in his loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero at the US Open is no more: "I've had treatment since I played Ferrero. I've had a lot of tightness in my hip flexor and I just couldn't push up on my serve. At the moment I haven't felt it at all in practice. Hopefully it's going to go away and I'm not going to have a problem this weekend...Since I arrived here (Melbourne) on Saturday I have gone pretty hard on my singles game. I'm moving well, I'm feeling eager."...Lleyton Hewitt says he will make no extra effort to qualify for the year-ending Masters Cup, which he has won the past two years (Hewitt is No. 9 with 290 points while No. 8 David Nalbandian has 358)...Will Andy Roddick pull from Thailand next week? I lose $10 to another Tennis-X staffer if he does. C'mon Andy, respect that commitment! Mandy would love to see Thailand, just tank the first round, but play...Later this month you will also be able to view Davis Cup action on the web for the first time when the International Tennis Federation and Sportev launch a new service to bring coverage of the Davis Cup to broadband networks worldwide at www.daviscup.tv...Argentina's Gaston Gaudio will attempt to lead his country's Davis Cup upset over Spain, as the Argentine "B"-squad player has a 5-4 head-to-head record versus Juan Carlos Ferrero...The other Argentine "B"-squad Davis Cupper Mariano Zabaleta is having a career year, his best since the ATP posthumously named him a "New Ball" a few years back in their marketing campaign, right before Zabaleta's play went into the toilet -- may want to put some jack down on the Argentines, the odds should be pretty good, you never know...Spain's choice of Malaga for the Argentina-Spain Davis Cup tie is a bit of a mystery to even the Spanish players: "I am not quite sure where it is," admitted Carlos Moya. "I understand they are building something in a parking lot." Bleachers big enough to handle 12,000 spectators are being specially constructed on a site midway between Malaga and the airport. Parking lot, nice...Next month's Swiss Open will boast the top three players on the ATP Champions Race in Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Roger Federer...Will Mark Philippoussis be fighting a cold this weekend while he takes on Roger Federer and the Swiss Davis Cup team? Did he catch it from Tara Reid? Has he caught anything else from Tara Reid? Can he put up some pictures of Tara Reid on his website? Inquiring minds want to know...Like other unlucky U.S. Davis Cup doubles specialists teams (ex: Scott Davis-David Pate, Don Johnson-Jared Palmer), will the Bryan brothers not get another shot if they lose their debut match?...Paradorn-mania is gripping Thailand with just one week until the country's first ATP event, and local newspapers are full of reports that Paradorn Srichaphan is dating a 20-year-old Thai model who has also been linked with the son of multi-millionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "We're just dating but I'm not set with anyone yet," Paradorn said. "Maybe in a year or two years, I'd like to have somebody who really understands me...travelling with me sometimes and having a family." Careful P-Dorn, don't mess with the Prime Minister's son's women.