Chile in ATP WTC Final, to Face AUS or ARG

Posted on May 21, 2004

Chile rolled into the final of the World Team Cup in Dusseldorf Thursday with an impressive 2-1 win over Germany, and will now face either Australia or Argentina in the final.

Chilean Nicolas Massu led things off with a three-set win over Rainer Schuettler, and Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez followed with a straight-set beating of Tommy Haas to clinch the win. In the dead-rubber doubles, Haas/Schuettler beat Garcia/Massu.

"To experience the great crowds and atmosphere here at the Rochusclub today makes you realize that all the hard work during my comeback has paid off," said Haas in his thanks-for-supporting-us-during-our-ass-kicking speech. "But I have to be patient because I am still not where I was before my injury. I am still a little rusty. Gonzalez, the way he played today, belongs among some of the best claycourt players in the world. He's the kind of player who can play incredibly but he can also be inconsistent at times." Another good one, always say the guy who just beat you is among the best in the world.

In the second match of the day between two teams eliminated from the final, the Czech Republic swept Spain 3-0, with Jiri Novak beating Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, Radek Stepanek staining the confidence of former Roland Garros winner Al Costa, and Novak/Stepanek beating Galo Blanco/Alex Corretja 6-0, 6-1 in the doubles (nice effort fellas, late for your flight?).

Today the Aussies take on the Argentines for the right to face the defending champ Chileans, with Lleyton Hewitt vs. Gaston Gaudio and Mark Philippoussis vs. Mariano Zabaleta in the singles. In the second match between two winless teams, The Netherlands face the "C"-squad Americans Vince Spadea and Robby Ginepri.

Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, already a three-time title winner in 2004, looked strong Thursday at Casablanca, rolling over (8)Oscar Hernandez 6-3, 6-0 to move into the semifinals at Casablanca.

Joining The Dominator on the winner's side were three un-seeds in Belgian Christophe Rochus (d. (3)Dupuis), French hard-hitter Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau (d. (7)Ascione), and 24-year-old Spanish qualifier Santiago Ventura (d. Heuberger), benefiting from a good draw in his first-ever ATP event. Friday's line-up is Rochus vs. (Q)Ventura, and (1)The Dominator vs. Benneton.

The remaining two seeds at St. Poelten moved into the semifinals Thursday in (6)David Sanchez (d. Davydenko who retired in the third set) and (8)Filippo Volandri (d. Hanescu). They were joined by two un-seeds in qualifier Xavier "X-Man" Malisse (d. (WC)Koellerer 6-1 in the third) and Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer (d. O.Rochus in three).

"I served very well, especially in the tiebreak," said the pumped-up Tuna Melt, playing at home in Austria. "The crowd and the atmosphere here is amazing."

Friday's line-up is Tuna Melt vs. (Q)X-Man (first meeting), and (8)Volandri vs. (6)Sanchez (Italian leads 1-0). Three of the semifinalists are the No. 1 players from their respective country, if that makes you any happier reading this.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW

Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport continued her walkabout at Strasbourg Thursday, rolling Slovak Katarina Srebotnik 6-0, 6-1 to move into the semifinals.

Joining Davenport in the semis were (3)Silvia Farina Elia (d. (Q)Sequera in three), (4)Emilie Loit (d. Strycova), and unseeded Luxembourg-ian Claudine Schaul (d. (2)Sugiyama in three).

The order of play for the semis on Friday will be (4)Loit vs. Schaul, and (1)Davenport vs. (3)Farina Elia.

Four seeds marched into the semifinals at Vienna Thursday in (2)Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (d. (7)Serna 1-and-0), (5)Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier (d. Kurhajcova in three), (6)Alicia Molik (d. Weingartner), and (8)Jelena Kostanic (d. (Q)Jidkova).

Friday's line-up is (8)Kostanic vs. (6)Molik, (5)Frazier vs. (2)Smashnova-Pistolesi, and in the doubles semis Navratilova/Raymond vs. China's Li/Sun, and Pratt/Wheeler vs. Black/Stubbs.

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