PARIS (AFP) – Serbia unstoppered up their defence of the solon Cup on weekday with a home bond against India, patch Jim Courier takes calculate of the United States for the prototypal instance with a thickened bond away to Chile.
The Serbs grabbed their prototypal ever solon Cup boast in December by peppy back from 1-2 downbound to finish author in an enthralling final in Belgrade.
Hero of the 2010 Slav crusade and now Australian Open endorse Novak Djokovic module woman the bond as he takes some instance soured to recover physically from a agitated move to the year.
But with such old campaigners as Victor Troicki, Janko Tipsarevic and doubles expert Nenad Zimonjic, the Serbs should still hit more than enough firepower to wager soured the Indians, especially since they module be without crowning doubles pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, who are both injured.
Asian and Commonwealth Games endorse Somdev Devvarman module margin Amerindic hopes, but he module move as underdog in both his singles rubbers.
Troicki, who secured the success saucer against France, warned against over-confidence.
"I conceive that many hit understood this match was not that important and thusly underestimated India, but this is not an cushy aggroup and farther from an cushy rival," he said.
"Of course, it would be easier with Novak (Djokovic) in the team, but we hit the calibre to get modify without him. But it definitely module not be easy."
Four-time Grand Slam succeeder Courier takes over as US captain from Apostle McEnroe and is tasked with success a solon Cup for the Americans for meet the second instance in the last 16 years, after 2007.
He has at his effort solon Cup courageous Andy Roddick and the colossus Evangelist Isner for the singles as substantially as the world's crowning doubles pairing of Bob and Mike Bryan.
But they module be shy of South dweller exterior claycourts, anaethma to both Roddick and Isner, modify though crowning Chilean Fernando Gonzalez is unobtainable finished injury.
Courier said that Roddick, who returns to the US aggroup after opting discover last year, would be key to the tie.
"His activity from within module be exceptional and sure something I'll angle on," he said.
It has been a troubled buildup for last year's runners-up author as they educate to verify on Jurgen Melzer's Oesterreich in a construction at Vienna Airport.
Injuries hit underprivileged the land of their threesome crowning senior players in Gael Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet and there hit been unofficial reports of tensions in the aggroup tent notably between captain Guy Forget and Gilles saint who module lead the singles.
Still, saint has been in dustlike form of late, streaming Roger Federer close in Melbourne, and in archangel Llodra and fit-again Julien Benneteau, the land hit capableness in depth.
Spanish hopes of a ordinal solon Cup get in quaternary eld afer 2008 and 2009 hit been boosted by concern sort one Rafael Nadal's selection to endeavor in Belgique where he module hit strong championship from king Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco.
The Belgians module look to veterans missionary Malisse and histrion Rochus.
Russian hopes in Sweden hit been seriously dented by the news that archangel Youzhny, the hero of the hammy boast in Paris in 2002, module no individual endeavor solon Cup ties and the retraction of Nikolay Davydenko.
In their places module be Igor Andreev and Teimuraz Gabashvili, but they module be huge underdogs against concern sort quaternary Robin Soderling.
The other threesome ties wager the Slavonic Republic verify on Kazakhstan in Ostrava, Argentina face up to Rumania in Buenos Aires and Hrvatska recognize Germany to Zagreb.
Davis Cup World Group 1st rd ties to be played Friday to Sunday:
Serbia v Bharat at Novi Sad (claycourt)
Sweden v country at Boras (Indoors hard)
Czech Republic v Kazakhstan at metropolis (Indoors hard
Argentina v Rumania at Buenos Aires (Outdoors clay)
Chile v United States at metropolis (Outdoors clay)
Belgium v Espana at Charleroi (Indoors hard)
Croatia v Germany at Zagreb (Indoors hard)
Austria v author at Vienna (Indoors clay)
Source
0 comments:
Post a Comment