Australia, Argentina in Running for ATP World Team Cup Final

Posted on May 20, 2004

Australia and Argentina will duke it out for a spot in the World Team Cup final on Friday after both teams advanced Wednesday in Dusseldorf. The Aussies weathered two three-setters against the Netherlands, with both Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippousis coming back from a set down against Martin "Berzerk" Verkerk and Sjeng Schalken respectively. Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley then beat John Van Lottum/Verkerk to complete the 3-0 sweep.

Argentina bested the U.S. 2-1, with both of their singles matches also going the distance. Juan Ignacio Chela beat Vince Spadea 6-4 in the third, then Mariano Zabaleta followed, coming from a set down to beat Robby Ginepri. The world No. 1 Bryan brothers salvaged some pride for the otherwise American "C"-squad players, beating Lucas Arnold/Gaston Gaudio in three.

Today at the WTC the defending champ Chileans face Germany with the winner earning a berth in the final, while Spain faces the Czech Republic in a meaningless confrontation.

The ATP Casablanca event is so horrid, there is little to say. Sorry. Wednesday results: (7)Ascione d. Browne, Benneteau d. Boutter, Heuberger d. (Q)Vagnozzi, (Q)Ventura d. Mahut. Now you know. Thursday's QF at Casablanca line up as C.Rochus vs. (3)Dupuis, Benneteau vs. (7)Ascione in an all-snail-eater, (1)Hrbaty vs. (8)O.Hernandez, and Heuberger vs. (Q)Ventura.

Again, St. Poelten, horrid: (6)Sanchez d. Koubek, (WC)Koellner d. (7)Karlovic in three, Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer d. Andreev, Hanescu d. Agassi-killer (Q)Zimonjic, and O.Rochus d. (WC)Knowle. Let's begin the French early, like today, and just call this event a wash. French qualifying is more interesting than this. St. Poelten QF match-ups: (WC)Koellerer vs. (Q)Xavier "X-Man" Malisse, Tuna Melt vs. O.Rochus, (3)Davydenko vs. (6)Sanchez, Hanescu vs. (8)Volandri. Cue the SportsCenter theme.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW

As if its field wasn't hurting enough already, the WTA stop in Vienna lost its top seed Wednesday when Chanda Rubin was ousted in her first match back from injury 7-6(2), 6-7(3), 6-4 by Russian qualifier Alina Jidkova. It was the first match for Rubin since injuring her knee in February.

No. 4 seed Maria Vento-Kabchi also joined Rubin on the sidelines after being housed 6-1, 6-1 by Germany's Marlene Weingartner. Other winners on the day were (2)Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (d. Klara "Kouky" Koukalova 6-0, 6-1), (5)Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier (d. Pratt), (6)Alicia Molik (d. Daniela "The Walking Stick" Hantuchova), (7)Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna (d. (WC)Meusburger), (8)Jelena Kostanic (d. Li in three), and unseeded Lubomira Kurhajcova (d. Zheng).

The Thursday quarterfinals line up as Joltin' Joe vs. Kurhajcova, Weingartner vs. Molik, Serna vs. Smashnova-Pistolesi, and Jidkova vs. Kostanic.

Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport played her first match in approximately a month Wednesday at Strasbourg, edging Marion Bartoli 7-6(5), 7-5. She was joined in the winners circle by seeds (2)Ai Sugiyama (d. Morigami in three), (3)Silvia Farina Elia (d. Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues in three), and (4)Emilie Loit (d. Cohen-Aloro).

Unseeded winners included Claudine Schaul (d. (5)Pisnik), Milagros Sequera (d. Granville), Katerina Srebotnik (d. Vakulenko 0-0), and Barbora Strycova (d. Beltrame).

Today's Strasbourg QF match-ups are Loit vs. Strycova, Davenport vs. Srebotnik, Schaul vs. Sugiyama, Farina Elia vs. Sequera.

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