Davis Cup Previews; WTA Tokyo Underway
Posted on February 4, 2004
Tennis-X will preview two matches per day of the eight first round match-ups during the days leading to the first round World Group matches for the 2004 Davis Cup, finishing with the first ball hit on Friday. Today's features are Russia at Belarus, and Argentina at Morocco:RUSSIA vs. BELARUS
Site: Football Manege, Minsk, BLR
Surface: Carpet indoors (Taraflex)
Ball Type: Penn ATP
Marat Safin and company enter the lair of The Beast in an interesting meeting between two countries that played as one under the flag of the Soviet Union until 1992.
Safin, fresh off his Aussie Open runner-up effort, is joined by Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev, essentially the same team that won the Cup in 2002 (sans a fat Yevgeny Kafelnikov on the active roster). Playing defense will be the home Belarusians, who could turn on the offense behind Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, who has gone three sets in all three of his meetings (winning one) against Safin. Voltchkov has been a non-factor since his 2000 Wimbledon semifinal run, but could find inspiration in front of the home crowd.
"We will play without Kafelnikov for the first time in many years," Russian captain Shamil Tarpishchev said. "He will support our players as one of the team's coaches but will not play himself. There is a big difference. I still have to decide who will be our team's number two. I will finalize my decision later." You do that. Shamil then shouted, "This press conference is over!" Just kidding.
The doubles could be key in this meeting, with the formidable Mirnyi-Voltchkov for Belarus, and the Russians likely giving the overworked Safin a rest on the middle Saturday between the singles. Give the nod to the Russians, with this tie likely being decided on the final day.
RUSSIA 2003 DAVIS CUP RESULTS
d. Czech Republic 3-2, World Group 1st rd.
l. to Argentina 5-0, World Group QF
BELARUS 2003 DAVIS CUP RESULTS
d. Israel 3-2, Euro/African Group I 1st rd.
d. Zimbabwe 4-1, Euro/African Group I QF
d. Germany 3-2, World Group qualifier
ARGENTINA vs. MOROCCO
Site: Salle Inbiaat, Agadir, MAR
Surface: Hard indoors (Greenset)
Ball Type: Dunlop Fort All Court
Without Moroccan No. 1 Younes El Aynaoui, who could sit this one out with a leg injury, this tie will be a walk for the Argentine Army. Younes from Tunis recorded a hardcourt win over David Nalbandian last year, but without the big man the Moroccan team would be left with Hicham Arazi, and maybe a walk-on from captain Karim Alami in the No. 2 singles spot since the rest of the Moroccans aren't ranked high enough to even get a sniff at the challenger-level tournaments.
Even with a healthy Younes, Morocco could be looking at an 0-5 blowout against Top 10ers Nalbandian and Guillermo Coria in singles. Coria sat out the Australian Open with injury, and is 50-50 for this trip after the abdominal strain, which can be tricky business. But if Coria sits out, Younes is healthy, and Arazi finds the form that took out Mark Philippoussis in Melbourne, and the Argentines come down with food poisoning, this tie could turn.
This is another first-time meeting between two nations who have never hoisted the Davis Cup trophy, and it would be a tough exit for the Moroccans after coming off the high of knocking Great Britain out of the World Group in 2003. Argentina, if they can overcome injuries in 2004, will be a strong contender for their first title, between Nalbandian, Coria, and the Masters Cup-qualifying doubles team of Etlis-Rodriguez.
ARGENTINA 2003 DAVIS CUP RESULTS
d. Germany 5-0, World Group 1st rd.
d. Russia 5-0, World Group QF
l. to Spain 3-2, World Group SF
MOROCCO 2003 DAVIS CUP RESULTS
d. Italy 3-2, Euro/African Group I QF
d. Great Britain 3-2, World Group qualifier
WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
The WTA stop in Tokyo begins play today, a day late to give players time to make the haul from Melbourne (see yesterday's Dish for preview). Players on court today are Srebotnik vs. Obata, Daniela "The Walking Stick" Hantuchova vs. Molik, Yoshida vs. Maria "Grunt-o-meter" Sharapova, Zheng vs. Panova, Maleeva vs. Raymond, Granville vs. Petrova, and Vento-Kabchi vs. Likhovtseva. Today Russian Nadia Petrova pulled from the event with her ongoing left butt muscle injury.
2004 SINGLES TITLE LEADERS
(through Feb. 1)
2--Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
2--Dominik Hrbaty (SVK)
-----------------------
1--Eleni Daniilidou (GRE)
1--Nicolas Escude (FRA)
1--Roger Federer (SUI)
1--Amy Frazier (USA)
1--Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
1--Carlos Moya (ESP)
1--Paola Suarez (ARG)
1--Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
2004 DOUBLES TITLE LEADERS
(through Feb. 1)
1--Shinobu Asagoe/Seiko Okamoto (JPN)
1--Mahesh Bhupathi/Fabrice Santoro (IND/FRA)
1--Jonas Bjorkman/Todd Woodbridge (SWE/AUS)
1--Cara Black/Renee Stubbs (ZIM/AUS)
1--Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)
1--Martin Damm/Cyril Suk (CZE)
1--Mervana Jugic-Salkic/Jelena Kostanic (BIH/CRO)
1--Jelena Kostanic/Claudine Schaul (CRO/LUX)
1--Svetlana Kuznetsova/Elena Likhovtseva (RUS)
1--Michael Llodra/Fabrice Santoro (FRA)
1--Rafael Nadal/Tommy Robredo (ESP)
1--Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez (ESP/ARG)
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NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Justine Henin-Hardenne has spent 14 weeks at No. 1, eclipsing Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, and Venus Williams' time at the top...Amelie Mauresmo moved to a career-high No. 3 ranking after the Aussie Open according to the WTA, but don't tell that to CNN/SI's Jon Wertheim: "Poor Amelie Mauresmo, who was playing as well as anyone before her back injury. Her career is looking increasingly doomstruck." Injuries heal, take it easy...Pulling from the WTA Tokyo stop this week were Jennifer Capriati (back), Marlene Weingartner (ab injury), Meghann Shaughnessy ("rest and recovery") Fabiola Zuluaga (right shoulder), Nadia Petrova (ass cheek), and Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (flu)...Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga, who is getting married in December, loves bowling...According to SI.com, "there was a manifesto circulating the Aussie Open locker room last week allegedly complaining about WTA staffing and the outsized influence of a certain management group on the women's game as well as a dearth of fall events for lower-ranked players."...Former NCAA champ Amer Delic won three rounds of qualies at the Dallas Challenger to make the main draw, beating Thomas Blake along the way.