U.S. Joins Spain in Tumbling from Davis Cup World Group

16-year-old Sanja Ancic of Croatia joined the women's wildcards, with Ancic the younger sister of Croatian Davis Cup star Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic.

The men's side will see a full slate of Top 10 participation, with Federer rolling past Britain's Tim Henman in last year's final.

The draws will be made at 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, with women's main draw play beginning Wednesday and the men beginning on Friday. The women's qualifying event begins today, with the men's qualifying kicking off on Wednesday.

Returning champions on the men side will be Federer (2004), Lleyton Hewitt (2003-02), Andre Agassi (2001), and Mark Philippoussis (1999). Returning champs on the women's side will be Kim Clijsters (2003), Daniela Hantuchova (2002), and current world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport (2000,'97).

Davis Cup World Group Results

Spain at Slovak Republic (Slovaks win 4-1)
Surface: Hard indoors

With the tie already decided Sunday, Spain is handed further humiliation when Slovak Michal Mertinak beats Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 in the first dead rubber, followed by Spain's Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco defeating Slovak Kamil Capkovic 6-2, 6-2.

Netherlands at Switzerland (Dutch win 3-2)
Surface: Hard indoors

Sjeng Schalken clinched it in the first Sunday singles for the Dutch, but not without a supreme effort, fighting off Swiss comer Stanislas Wawrinka 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7. "It could have gone either way but the key for me was my ability to fight," Schalken said after his second five-set win in singles over the weekend. In the final dead rubber, Dutchman Peter "Nuclear" Wessels retired with a back injury after the first set against Marco "Chud" Chiudinelli.

Austria at Australia (Australia wins 5-0)
Surface: Grass

The Aussies win the two singles dead rubbers Sunday when Todd Woodbridge edges Marco Mirnegg 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, and Chris "Penthouse" Guccione rolls Alexander Peya 6-3, 6-4.

Czech Republic at Argentina (Gauchos win 5-0)
Surface: Clay outdoors

The Argentines complete the sweep in the two dead rubber singles Sunday, with Guillermo Coria thumping Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-0 on the red dirt, and Agustin Calleri strolling past Tomas Zib 6-2, 6-4.

Chile at Russia (Russia wins 4-1)
Surface: Carpet indoors

Marat Safin clinches it for Russia in the first singles on Sunday, almost blowing a 2-0 set lead but eventually throwing down a total of 20 aces in a five-set 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-7(3), 6-4 win over Chile's Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez.

"I felt a really big relief after because everyone's happy," Safin said. "I was not having a great time on the court today. It's of course easier playing for yourself than playing for your country because I can play much better tennis than this weekend."

In the final dead singles rubber, Nikolay Davydenko, who was announced as too injured to play on Friday or Saturday, miraculously emerged to defeat Chile's Paul Capdeville 6-2, 6-1.

Sweden at France (France wins 3-2)
Surface: Clay indoors

Sweden's Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson evened the tie at 2-2 after the first singles Sunday, defeating Sebastien Grosjean 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1, but the other Johansson could not come through as Thomas Johansson was defeated 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 by France's newly-salvaged hero Paul-Henri Mathieu.

"It was great to win this match, in front of my home crowd, and to be able to give the decisive point to my team," said Mathieu, who lost the decisive fifth rubber against Russia in 2002 after leading 2-0 in sets. "Our team is a real team and that is why we are strong. There is no other competition that can make me feel so good or so bad."

France advances to the quarterfinal at Russia in July.

Belarus at Romania (Romania wins 3-2)
Surface: Clay indoors

It looked like Belarus had all the ingredients for an upset in place going into Sunday with a 2-1 lead, but Romania's Andrei Pavel rallied the troops with a 6-1, 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-3 win over Max "The Beast" Mirnyi on the red dirt, and Victor Hanescu finished it off for Romania in the fifth and deciding match with a comprehensive 7-6(2), 6-4, 7-6(6) win over non-clay specialist Vladimir "The Vladiator" Voltchkov.

"I am very happy. It was probably the best match of my life," Hanescu said. "My match was decisive, but first of all we should thank our devoted fans for this great success. Of course, Pavel winning the match against Mirnyi gave me a big moral boost. I examined Voltchkov's play during the first two days quite well, so I felt relaxed from the beginning of the match."

Croatia at USA (Croatia wins 3-2)
Surface: Hard outdoors

The U.S. "Dream Team" of Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and the Bryan brothers are bounced in the first round when Ivan Ljubicic wins his third match of the tie on Sunday, defeating Roddick in five sets 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(11), 6-7(7), 6-2 to send the U.S. spiraling into the Davis Cup Qualifying round in September. Chance of getting Agassi to travel to, say, Chile to play on clay in September? Zero?

"Well, it certainly hurts a lot," U.S. Captain Patrick McEnroe said of the loss. "After getting in the final last year, starting off at home with our best team, it's disappointing. I certainly didn't expect it."

Bob Bryan beat Croatia's Roko Karanusic 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, in the final dead-rubber singles.


Davis Cup Group I Results

Serbia & Montenegro d. Zimbabwe 5-0
Italy d. Luxembourg 5-0
Great Britain d. Israel 3-2 (qualify for World Group playoffs)
Germany d. South Africa 3-2 (qualify for World Group playoffs)
Venezuela d. Peru 4-1
Ecuador d. Mexico 3-2
Pakistan d. Thailand 3-2
Chinese Taipei d. Japan 3-2
Uzbekistan d. Indonesia 3-2
India d. China, P.R. 5-0

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Dutch Davis Cup captain Tjerk Bogtstra on Martin "Berzerk" Verkerk, who has been out with an extended injury: "He still has his shoulder problems and progress hasn't been too good. I hope I'll be able to use him (in the next tie) but I'm not sure yet."...From Charlie "Brick" Bricker's Sunday tennis column in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The reason MaliVai Washington is not pairing with Cliff Drysdale on the telecast of the U.S.-Croatia Davis Cup tie, which finishes today, is because his contract ran out at the end of 2004. ESPN wanted him back, but they never agreed on terms."...Props to ESPN for tossing the Sunday U.S. Davis Cup singles live on that wasteland of old boxing reruns, ESPN Classic -- better that than nothing, or "ESPN U"...Lleyton Hewitt may be fined by the ITF for wearing a lime-green sleeveless shirt during his Davis Cup singles win on Friday. The 2005 Davis Cup rules state that players from all 16 World Group nations must either wear national colors or have the name of their country on their uniform..."Grinning" Greg Rusedski on leading Britain to a win over Israel in Davis Cup zonal play and another shot at the World Group Qualifying round: "I came in here with the pressure and expectation that had I not won both my matches things might have been different. But I played the big points very well, I never dropped serve and I was extremely convincing. I got better in every set and that was a very positive thing for me today. We have got the match we want now and have a step to get back into the world's Top 16. That is exciting because we have six months for the younger players to come on and hopefully there will be even more new faces on the team in September."...Andrei Pavel on Romania coming back from 1-2 points down to beat Belarus Sunday: "This was a performance to compare with the great wins by Ilie Nastase and Ion Tiriac. Even if I had believed before the match that we could win, I would not be able to believe quite what happened today." Easy Andrei, you just beat Belarus, 2nd year in the World Group, not Spain...Germany tried their best to choke away their tie with South Africa, leading 2-0 going into the doubles when Athens Olympic silver medalists Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler lost to South Africans Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie in straight sets. Then on Sunday Tommy Haas lost to Moodie 10-8 in the fifth before Schuettler defeated Wayne Ferreira in straight sets. Wayne must have been thinking 'What the F? I was supposed to be coming out of retirement to play the doubles, not get some actual exercise, put on the spot for the deciding fifth rubber after I've been sitting on the couch eating Oreos for the last couple months."...So let's decide who needs to get the axe for laying that super-slow hardcourt in the U.S.-Croatia Davis Cup tie that worked against Andre Agassi's game and helped Ivan Ljubicic's serve more than Andy Roddick's? What a monstrous miscalculation there...Props to ESPN for scrolling the results of the U.S. doubles tie on Saturday during the tape replay, nice one...WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott on the potential merger of the ATP and WTA somewhere down the road, as reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "No one is so naive as to think it can be done now. But there are conversations going on, and maybe I've promoted those conversations a bit...I would be interested in is bringing the tours together. I believe that would be a great step for the sport, whether it's as a joint venture or a complete merger. And I think I have a unique perspective, having been in both organizations."...Most Painful Davis Cup Headline goes to the L.A. Times: "Roddick Reminds Us Again That He's Good but Not Great"...Ivan Ljubicic is 6-0 vs. U.S. players in Davis Cup play, and said after his win Sunday he received a visit in the locker room: "After the match, Andre (Agassi) came in our locker room and he said that he was privileged to watch this match, and (said) enjoy these moments -- enjoy this moment because it doesn't last forever. I really appreciate that from him and I think he's a great person."...30-year-old San Diegan (San Diegoan? San Diegoanianian? Whatever) Anne Mall was awarded an Indian Wells wildcard into the women's qualifying, continuing the wave of oldsters coming back to pro tennis inspired by Martina Navratilova.