Davis Cup World Group -- Qualifying Results
Posted on September 24, 2005Austria tied with Ecuador 1-1
Rather than going to bed with a 2-0 lead, Austrian captain Thomas Muster tossed and turned Friday night as Austria and Ecuador finished the day tied 1-1 after Stefan Koubek blew a 2-0 set lead against Nicolas Lapentti. In the opening match Jurgen Melzer dropped only three games against Giovanni Lapentti.
Now Saturday's critical doubles match will determine the momentum with the Ecuadorian Lapentti brothers facing Austria's Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya.
Canada tied with Belarus 1-1
Though he struggled with completing only six of an amazing 29 break point opportunities, Canada's Frank Dancevic still came back from 1-2 sets down in the opening singles to defeat Belarus' Vladimir "The Vladiator" Voltchkov 6-3 in the fifth set to put the home Canadians up 1-0.
Max "The Beast" Mirnyi then drew the tie even when Canada's Daniel Nestor retired with The Beast leading 6-7(4), 7-5, 2-1, ret. with a left hip injury that leaves him in doubt for the Saturday doubles.
Nestor is scheduled to play the doubles with Frederic Niemeyer against Mirnyi and Voltchkov.
Chile leads Pakistan 2-0
Fernando Gonzalez pasted Aqeel Khan 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, while Nicolas Massu followed with a more uneven 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1 win over Aisam Qureshi to put Chile up 2-0 over the overmatched Pakistanis on the red clay.
All four players will take to the doubles court Saturday when the 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning Chileans look to secure their place in the 2006 World Group.
Czech Republic tied with Germany 1-1
Tommy Haas had Germany in the pole position before blowing a 2-0 sets lead against Tomas Berdych on Friday, then Nicolas Kiefer played hero for the Germans, evening the tie at 1-1 after a four-set win over Tomas Zib.
The Czechs will have the upper hand in the doubles Saturday, with the crowd support and five-time 2005 ATP title winners Frantisek Cermak and Leos Friedl up against Germans Haas and Alexander Waske.
Spain tied with Italy 1-1
Former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero's Davis Cup stock further plummeted Friday when the Spaniard blew a 2-0 set lead against Andreas Seppi, losing 5-7, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 before new-order Spaniard Rafael Nadal righted the ship with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 pounding of Daniele Bracciali. Potito Starace, scheduled to play singles for Italy, withdrew suffering from the flu.
The critical Saturday doubles are scheduled to feature Nadal and Feliciano Lopez for Spain against Bracciali and Giorgio Galimberti.
Sweden leads India 1-0
Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman rolled Prakash Amritraj in straight sets in the opener, but India retains hope for a delayed point as the second singles was rained out with Sweden's Thomas Johansson leading Rohan Bopanna 7-6(3), 6-6.
In addition to the resumed singles on Saturday, India's former No. 1-ranked doubles team of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will shoulder the pressure of all India against Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin.
Switzerland leads Britain 2-0
Brit captain Jeremy Bates' singles strategy backfires, sitting out top player Greg Rusedski on day one as Roger Federer rolls Alan Mackin 6-0, 6-0, 6-2, and Swiss No. 2 Stan Wawrinka defeats Andy Murray 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-4 to put the home team up 2-0 and the Brits in the commode entering the Saturday doubles.
"When you're leading by so much, it can get a bit boring and you have to make sure you stay focused," said Federer after rolling Mackin. "It's almost like I didn't play a match; it went so fast, less than a two-hour training session."
Now part two of Bate's plan comes into a play as a fresh Rusedski and Murray take on Federer and Swiss doubles specialist Yves Allegro Saturday in an attempt to keep the British hopes alive.
Belgium tied with U.S. 1-1
Andy Roddick righted the U.S. ship with a straight-set win over Christophe Rochus after Belgian brother Olivier played hero in the first match with a straight-set win over James Blake.
Blake looked beaten as soon as he dropped his opening service game in the third set, making U.S. fans wonder what could have been with odd-man-out Robby Ginepri.
"It was one of those days when he is playing well and he is getting the breaks," Blake said. "Things tend to feel like they are snowballing."
On Saturday the Bryan brothers will have their hands full against Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen, who in their last D-Cup pairing defeated the experienced Zimbabwean team of Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett. The Bryans lost in their last outing to Croatians Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic.
Rather than going to bed with a 2-0 lead, Austrian captain Thomas Muster tossed and turned Friday night as Austria and Ecuador finished the day tied 1-1 after Stefan Koubek blew a 2-0 set lead against Nicolas Lapentti. In the opening match Jurgen Melzer dropped only three games against Giovanni Lapentti.
Now Saturday's critical doubles match will determine the momentum with the Ecuadorian Lapentti brothers facing Austria's Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya.
Canada tied with Belarus 1-1
Though he struggled with completing only six of an amazing 29 break point opportunities, Canada's Frank Dancevic still came back from 1-2 sets down in the opening singles to defeat Belarus' Vladimir "The Vladiator" Voltchkov 6-3 in the fifth set to put the home Canadians up 1-0.
Max "The Beast" Mirnyi then drew the tie even when Canada's Daniel Nestor retired with The Beast leading 6-7(4), 7-5, 2-1, ret. with a left hip injury that leaves him in doubt for the Saturday doubles.
Nestor is scheduled to play the doubles with Frederic Niemeyer against Mirnyi and Voltchkov.
Chile leads Pakistan 2-0
Fernando Gonzalez pasted Aqeel Khan 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, while Nicolas Massu followed with a more uneven 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1 win over Aisam Qureshi to put Chile up 2-0 over the overmatched Pakistanis on the red clay.
All four players will take to the doubles court Saturday when the 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning Chileans look to secure their place in the 2006 World Group.
Czech Republic tied with Germany 1-1
Tommy Haas had Germany in the pole position before blowing a 2-0 sets lead against Tomas Berdych on Friday, then Nicolas Kiefer played hero for the Germans, evening the tie at 1-1 after a four-set win over Tomas Zib.
The Czechs will have the upper hand in the doubles Saturday, with the crowd support and five-time 2005 ATP title winners Frantisek Cermak and Leos Friedl up against Germans Haas and Alexander Waske.
Spain tied with Italy 1-1
Former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero's Davis Cup stock further plummeted Friday when the Spaniard blew a 2-0 set lead against Andreas Seppi, losing 5-7, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 before new-order Spaniard Rafael Nadal righted the ship with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 pounding of Daniele Bracciali. Potito Starace, scheduled to play singles for Italy, withdrew suffering from the flu.
The critical Saturday doubles are scheduled to feature Nadal and Feliciano Lopez for Spain against Bracciali and Giorgio Galimberti.
Sweden leads India 1-0
Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman rolled Prakash Amritraj in straight sets in the opener, but India retains hope for a delayed point as the second singles was rained out with Sweden's Thomas Johansson leading Rohan Bopanna 7-6(3), 6-6.
In addition to the resumed singles on Saturday, India's former No. 1-ranked doubles team of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will shoulder the pressure of all India against Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin.
Switzerland leads Britain 2-0
Brit captain Jeremy Bates' singles strategy backfires, sitting out top player Greg Rusedski on day one as Roger Federer rolls Alan Mackin 6-0, 6-0, 6-2, and Swiss No. 2 Stan Wawrinka defeats Andy Murray 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-4 to put the home team up 2-0 and the Brits in the commode entering the Saturday doubles.
"When you're leading by so much, it can get a bit boring and you have to make sure you stay focused," said Federer after rolling Mackin. "It's almost like I didn't play a match; it went so fast, less than a two-hour training session."
Now part two of Bate's plan comes into a play as a fresh Rusedski and Murray take on Federer and Swiss doubles specialist Yves Allegro Saturday in an attempt to keep the British hopes alive.
Belgium tied with U.S. 1-1
Andy Roddick righted the U.S. ship with a straight-set win over Christophe Rochus after Belgian brother Olivier played hero in the first match with a straight-set win over James Blake.
Blake looked beaten as soon as he dropped his opening service game in the third set, making U.S. fans wonder what could have been with odd-man-out Robby Ginepri.
"It was one of those days when he is playing well and he is getting the breaks," Blake said. "Things tend to feel like they are snowballing."
On Saturday the Bryan brothers will have their hands full against Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen, who in their last D-Cup pairing defeated the experienced Zimbabwean team of Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett. The Bryans lost in their last outing to Croatians Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic.