Wildcard Germany on a Roll at ATP World Team Cup

After initially sleazing their way into the event with a wildcard after failing to qualify as one of the top eight teams, Germany is making good at the World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, upping their record to 2-0 after a Tuesday win over the Czech Republic.

"We have set ourselves high goals for the World Team Cup," said Nicolas Kiefer, who beat Radek Stepanek in singles, but then lost with Rainer Schuttler to the Czech team of Jiri Novak/Stepanek in the dead-rubber doubles. "That's why we are a bit more nervous than usual. I didn't play as consistent as I wanted to but this tournament is on a very high level. Only victory counts here, no matter who from the team is playing."

Kiefer sealed the win for Germany after Schuettler beat Novak in straight sets.

In the other match Tuesday, Chile kept their hopes for a second straight title alive with a 3-0 win over Spain. Nicolas Massu was handed a victory when Al Costa retired with a pulled leg muscle in the first set of their match, and Fernando Gonzalez followed with a three-set win over Alex Corretja. In the doubles, Chileans Adrian Garcia/Massu beat Corretja/Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez.

Today in Dusseldorf the Americans are in a must-win situation against Argentina, while The Netherlands likewise have their backs against the wall against Australia.

Five seeds were on court Tuesday in Casablanca, but only four moved into quarterfinals in (1)Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty (d. Calatrava in three), (3)Anthony Dupuis (d. Portas in two tiebreaks), (5)Cyril Saulnier (d. C.Rochus), and (8)Oscar Hernandez (d. Guzman 7-6 in the third). No. 4 Ruben Ramirez I-Can't-Believe-I-Was-Seeded Hidalgo was not so lucky, upended by the hard-hitting Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

On Wednesday's Casablanca menu are Browne vs. (7)Ascione, Benneteau vs. defending champ Boutter in an all-French, (Q)Ventura vs. Mahut, and Heuberger vs. (Q)Vagnozzi.

Brit Greg Rusedski kept pace with Paradorn Srichaphan for "Worst Top Player on Clay" Tuesday at St. Poelten, keeping his winless streak alive on the dirt with a straight-set loss to Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer.

"Well it was a tough game, I started out returning very well, but then he started serving and volleying a lot better in the second set," Tuna Melt said after taking apart Grinning Greg. "I played a good tiebreak though and played the big points well."

Other winners on the day were (3)Nikolay Davydenko (d. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic), (8)Filippo Volandri (d. "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter), wildcard Julien Knowle (d. (4)Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze), and qualifier Xavier "I Can't Even Get Directly Into Freaking St. Poelten" Malisse (d. Armando).

On court today are Andreev vs. Melzer, O.Rochus vs. (WC)Knowle, Koubek vs. (6)Sanchez, (7)Karlovic vs. (WC)Koellerer, and Agassi-killer (Q)Zimonjic vs. Hanescu.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW

It was Qualifiers Gone Wild at Strasbourg Tuesday, with (Q)Milagros Sequera of Venezuela ousting (6)Dinara "Baby Sis" Safina in three sets, and (Q)Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France punking American Jill Craybas in three. Other winners on the day were (3)Silvia Farina Elia (d. (Q)Nagyova, who didn't get the memo), (4)Emilie Loit (d. (WC)Testud 6-1 in the third), (5)Tina Pisnik (d. (Q)Martinez Granados, likewise, memo), and the Ukraine's Julia Vakulenko who upended (8)Meghann Shaughnessy.

On tap today in the 'bourg are Farina Elia vs. Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, Morigami vs. Sugiyama in an all-Japan, Cohen-Aloro vs. Loit in an all-France, Davenport vs. Bartoli, Pisnik vs. Schaul, Granville vs. Sequera, Srebotnik vs. Vakulenko, and Beltrame vs. Strycova.

All four seeds in action at Vienna cruised Tuesday in (4)Maria Vento-Kabchi (d. Melinda "Our Favorite Element" Czink in three), (6)Alicia Molik (d. Sucha), (7)Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna (d. Barna), and (8)Jelena Kostanic (d. (Q)Stosur). Unseeded winners were Klara "Kouky" Koukalova (d. Gisela "Sgt." Dulko in three), Chinese qualifier Ting Li (d. Benesova), Daniela "The Walking Stick" Hantuchova (d. (Q)Talaja 6-1 in the third), Germany's Marlene Weingartner (d. Black), and Russian qualifier Alina Jidkova (d. (WC)Schwartz). That's 3-1 on the day for the "ova"s, not bad.

On court Wednesday at the sausage are Frazier vs. Pratt, Kouky vs. Smashnova-Pistolesi, the top-seeded Rubin vs. Jidkova, Serna vs. Meusburger, Hantuchova vs. Molik, Li vs. Kostanic, Vento-Kabchi vs. Weingartner, and Kurhajcova vs. Zheng.

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