FE430FBD-13C1-4E47-B968-6B2ABF810EAA
By Alberto Amalfi
© ITF
(July 11, 2010) David Nalbandian calls Davis Cup his favorite event in tennis. Nalbandian solidified his status as a Davis Cup closer today.
The 153rd-ranked Nalbandian clinched a historic victory to send Argentina into the Davis Cup semifinals for the second time in the last three years.
Nalbandian defeated 14th-ranked Mikhail Youzhny, 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-3, in the decisive fifth match to clinch Argentina's 3-2 victory over host Russia at Moscow's Olympic stadium.
"I played great, much better than Friday," Nalbandian said. "I said I had to keep improving my game, and that is what I did today. We won so I’m so happy to be in the semifinals again."
It marked the first time Argentina, which lost to Russia in the 2006 final in Moscow, defeated Russia on Russian soil.
The victory sends Argentina into the September 17-19th Davis Cup semifinals against host France.
The French squad completed its first victory in 87 years over two-time defending champion Spain today. Michael Llodra, who upset Fernando Verdasco in Friday's singles, partnered Julien Benneteau to beat Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, giving France an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
Czech Republic, the 2009 Davis Cup runner-up, beat host Chile and will travel to Serbia to play the other semifinal. The semifinals and eight World Group playoff ties will take place September 17-19th.
FRANCE defeated SPAIN 5-0
Venue: Grande Halle d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand , France (hard - indoors)
Gael Monfils (FRA) d. David Ferrer (ESP) 76(3) 62 46 57 64
Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 67(5) 64 63 76(2)
Julien Benneteau/Michael Llodra (FRA) d. Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 61 62 67(6) 76(5)
Gilles Simon (FRA) d, Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 76(4) 76(7)
Julien Benneteau (FRA) d. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 76(3) 64
ARGENTINA defeated RUSSIA 3-2
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow , Russia (hard - indoors)
David Nalbandian (ARG) d. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 64 76(5) 76(6)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) d. Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 63 61 64
Eduardo Schwank/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) d. Nikolay Davydenko/Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 76(7) 64 67(3) 61
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) d. Eduardo Schwank (ARG) 46 63 61 64
David Nalbandian (ARG) d. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 76(5) 64 63
SERBIA defeated CROATIA 4-1
Venue: Spaladium Arena, Split , Croatia (hard – indoors)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) 76(3) 64 61
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Viktor Troicki (SRB) 64 75 62
Janko Tipsarevic/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) d. Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig (CRO) 63 62 64
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Marin Cilic (CRO) 63 63 62
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) d. Antonio Veic (CRO) 62 76(5)
CZECH REPUBLIC defeated CHILE 3-0
Venue: Enjoy Tennis Center , Coquimbo , Chile (clay - outdoors)
Ivo Minar (CZE) d. Nicolas Massu (CHI) 60 62 63
Jan Hajek (CZE) d. Paul Capdeville (CHI) 60 62 61
Lukas Dlouhy/Jan Hajek (CZE) d. Jorge Aguilar/Nicolas Massu (CHI) 76(3) 63 36 63
Nicolas Massu (CHI) v Jan Hajek (CZE)
Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan (CHI) v Ivo Minar (CZE)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I FIRST ROUND PLAY-OFFS
NETHERLANDS defeated BELARUS 4-1
Venue: Republic Olympic Training Centre for Tennis, Minsk , Belarus (hard – outdoors)
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) d. Andrei Vasilevski (BLR) 62 62 75
Robin Haase (NED) d. Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) 46 57 63 60 63
Uladzimir Ignatik/Max Mirnyi (BLR) d. Thiemo de Bakker/Igor Sijsling (NED) 57 63 76(6) 46 63
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) d. Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) 61 76(5) 67(4) 64
Robin Haase (NED) d. Andrei Vasilevski (BLR) 63 64
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I FIRST ROUND PLAY-OFFS
CHINESE TAIPEI defeated PHILIPPINES 3-1
Venue: Yang-Ming Tennis Center , Kaohsiung , Chinese Taipei (hard – outdoors)
Tsung-Hua Yang (TPE) d. Treat Huey (PHI) 63 76(5) 76(5)
Cecil Mamiit (PHI) d. Ti Chen (TPE) 36 63 41 ret.
Tsung-Hua Yang/Chu-Huan Yi (TPE) d. Cecil Mamiit/Treat Huey (PHI) 63 75 67(3) 76(6)
Tsung-Hua Yang (TPE) d. Cecil Mamiit (PHI) 26 63 62 36 63
Ti Chen (TPE) v Treat Huey (PHI)
UZBEKISTAN defeated KOREA , REP. 3-2
Venue: Gimcheon Total Sports Town Tennis Courts, Gimcheon , Korea , Rep. (hard – indoors)
Denis Istomin (UZB) d. Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) 46 61 75 62
Farrukh Dustov (UZB) d. Young-Jun Kim (KOR) 67(6) 75 63 63
Murad Inoyatov/Denis Istomin (UZB) d. Hyun-Joon Kim/Young-Jun Kim (KOR) 57 63 63 63
Hyun-Joon Kim (KOR) d. Murad Inoyatov (UZB) 75 61
Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) d. Vaja Uzakov (UZB) 63 61
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II SECOND ROUND
LITHUANIA defeated IRELAND 3-1
Venue: Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club, Dublin , Ireland (carpet - indoors)
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) d. James McGee (IRL) 67(2) 64 64 63
Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) d. Conor Niland (IRL) 62 63 61
Ricardas Berankis/Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) d. James Cluskey/Barry King (IRL) 63 63 64
Conor Niland (IRL) d. Lukas Mugevicius (LTU) 60 62
James McGee (IRL) v Laurynas Grigelis (LTU)
SLOVENIA defeated BULGARIA 5-0
Venue: TK Krka Otocec, Otocec , Slovenia (clay – outdoors)
Grega Zemlja (SLO) d. Todor Enev (BUL) 63 61 26 64
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) d. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 16 61 60 63
Luka Gregorc/Grega Zemlja (SLO) d. Grigor Dimitrov/Ivaylo Traykov (BUL) 67(3) 76(2) 76(12) 63
Blaz Rola (SLO) d. Valentin Dimov (BUL) 60 61
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) d. Todor Enev (BUL) 62 61
PORTUGAL defeated CYPRUS 5-0
Venue: Centro de Tenis do Jamor, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal (clay – outdoors)
Rui Machado (POR) d. Rares Cuzdriorean (CYP) 63 60 63
Frederico Gil (POR) d. Philippos Tsangaridis (CYP) 60 61 ret.
Frederico Gil/Leonardo Tavares (POR) d. Rares Cuzdriorean/Eleftherios Christou (CYP) 62 61 63
Joao Sousa (POR) d. Eleftherios Christou (CYP) 61 60
Rui Machado (POR) d. Sergis Kyratzis (CYP) 62 60
BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA defeated ESTONIA 3-2
Venue: Tere Tennisekeskus, Tallinn , Estonia (clay – outdoors)
Jurgen Zopp (EST) d. Ismar Gorcic (BIH) 64 61 62
Aldin Setkic (BIH) d. Vladimir Ivanov (EST) 64 62 63
Mait Kunnap/Jurgen Zopp (EST) d. Ismar Gorcic/Aldin Setkic (BIH) 62 61 61
Aldin Setkic (BIH) d. Jurgen Zopp (EST) 64 64 63
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) d. Vladimir Ivanov (EST) 26 60 62 63
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II PLAY-OFFS
GREAT BRITAIN defeated TURKEY 5-0
Venue: Devonshire Park , Eastbourne , Great Britain (grass – outdoors)
Jamie Baker (GBR) d. Ergun Zorlu (TUR) 61 64 61
James Ward (GBR) d. Marsel Ilhan (TUR) 62 75 67(0) 61
Colin Fleming/Ken Skupski (GBR) d. Haluk Akkoyun/Ergun Zorlu (TUR) 63 64 64
Jamie Baker (GBR) d. Tuna Altuna (TUR) 63 62
James Ward (GBR) d. Ergun Zorlu (TUR) 61 63
MONACO defeated NORWAY 5-0
Venue: Monte Carlo Country Club, Roquebrune Cap Martin , Monaco (clay – outdoors)
Benjamin Balleret (MON) d. Stian Boretti (NOR) 60 63 21 ret.
Thomas Oger (MON) d. Erling Tveit (NOR) 61 62 76(5)
Guillaume Couillard/Thomas Oger (MON) d. Stian Boretti/Erling Tveit (NOR) 16 61 60 64
Benjamin Balleret (MON) d. Fredrik Ask (NOR) 62 67(6) 60
Thomas Oger (MON) d. Adrian Forberg Skogeng (NOR) 61 62
DENMARK defeated EGYPT 5-0
Venue: El Gezera Sporting Club, Cairo , Egypt (clay – outdoors)
Frederik Nielsen (DEN) d. Sherif Sabry (EGY) 26 64 64 16 64
Martin Pedersen (DEN) d. Karim Maamoun (EGY) 76(4) 67(6) 76(3) 61
Thomas Kromann/Frederik Nielsen (DEN) d. Karim Maamoun/Sherif Sabry (EGY) 63 64 76(5)
Thomas Kromann (DEN) d. Karim Maamoun (EGY) 64 63
Soren Wedege (DEN) d. Sherif Sabry (EGY) 75 75
HUNGARY defeated F.Y.R. MACEDONIA 4-1
Venue: Godollo Kiskastely, Godollo, Hungary (clay – outdoors)
Attila Balazs (HUN) d. Predrag Rusevski (MDK) 64 62 64
Dimitar Grabuloski (MDK) d. Adam Kellner (HUN) 16 57 64 64 62
Gyorgy Balazs/Kornel Bardoczky (HUN) d. Lazar Magdinchev/Predrag Rusevski (MDK) 36 62 26 60 63
Attila Balazs (HUN) d. Dimitar Grabuloski (MDK) 63 61 62
Gyorgy Balazs (HUN) d. Tomislav Jotovski (MDK) 60 61
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II SECOND ROUND
VENEZUELA leads PERU 2-1
Venue: Complejo de Tenis Vereda del Lago, Maracaibo, Venezuela (hard – outdoors)
David Souto (VEN) d. Mauricio Echazu (PER) 62 64 75
Ivan Miranda (PER) d. Roman Recarte (VEN) 16 63 63 ret.
Jose De Armas/ Piero Luisi (VEN) d. Duilio Beretta/Sergio Galdos (PER) 76(6) 75 64
David Souto (VEN) v Ivan Miranda (PER)
Roman Recarte (VEN) v Mauricio Echazu (PER)
MEXICO leads PARAGUAY 2-1
Venue: Agua Vista Club de Campo Residecial, Encarnacion, Paraguay (clay – outdoors)
Daniel Garza (MEX) d. Gustavo Ramirez (PAR) 61 64 62
Daniel Lopez (PAR) d. Cesar Ramirez (MEX) 76(8) 57 64 76(5)
Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela/Bruno Rodriguez (MEX) d. Diego Galeano/Daniel Lopez (PAR) 61 63 63
Daniel Lopez (PAR) v Daniel Garza (MEX)
Gustavo Ramirez (PAR) v Cesar Ramirez (MEX)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II PLAY-OFFS
EL SALVADOR defeated BOLIVIA 3-0
Venue: Javier Luizaga, Cochabamba, Bolivia (clay – outdoors)
Rafael Arevalo (ESA) d. Mauricio Estivariz (BOL) 64 16 46 76(6) 86
Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) d. Mauricio Doria-Medina (BOL) 76(4) 62 76(5)
Marcelo Arevalo/Rafael Arevalo (ESA) d. Mauricio Doria-Medina/Federico Zeballos (BOL) 64 64 61
Mauricio Estivariz (BOL) v Marcelo Arevalo (ESA)
Mauricio Doria-Medina (BOL) v Rafael Arevalo (ESA)
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES level with GUATEMALA 1-1
Venue: Federacion Nacional de Tenis, Guatemala City, Guatemala (hard – outdoors)
Martijn Van Haasteren (AHO) d. Christopher Diaz-Figueroa (GUA) 63 76(5) 46 26 62
Julen Uriguen (GUA) d. Alexander Blom (AHO) 67(2) 63 36 64 63
Sebastien Vidal/Manuel Chavez (GUA) v Alexander Blom/Martijn Van Haasteren (AHO)
Christopher Diaz-Figueroa (GUA) v Alexander Blom (AHO)
Julen Uriguen (GUA) v Martjin Van Haasteren (AHO)
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II SECOND ROUND
THAILAND defeated INDONESIA 3-1
Venue: Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Stadium, Jakarta , Indonesia (hard – outdoors)
Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) d. Sunu-Wahyu Trijati (INA) 36 75 64 57 62
Christopher Rungkat (INA) d. Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) 64 62 60
Sanchai Ratiwatana/Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) d. Ketut-Nesa Arta/Christopher Rungkat (INA) 67(2) 64 64 63
Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) d. Christopher Rungkat (INA) 46 62 64 64
Sunu-Wahyu Trijati (INA) v Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA)
NEW ZEALAND defeated PAKISTAN 3-2
Venue: TSB Hub, Hawera, Taranaki , New Zealand (hard - indoors)
Jose Statham (NZL) d. Aqeel Khan (PAK) 64 60 60
Aisam Qureshi (PAK) d. Michael Venus (NZL) 76(2) 46 62 26 1513
Aqeel Khan/Aisam Qureshi (PAK) d. Marcus Daniell/Michael Venus (NZL) 76(6) 63 62
Jose Statham (NZL) d. Aisam Qureshi (PAK) 62 61 63
Austen Childs (NZL) d. Aqeel Khan (PAK) 61 63 63
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II PLAY-OFFS
PACIFIC OCEANIA defeated MALAYSIA 3-2
Venue: Kompleks Tenis Tun Abd Razak, National Tennis Centre, Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia (hard – indoors)
Yew-Ming Si (MAS) d. Juan Langton (POC) 46 62 36 75 75
Michael Leong (POC) d. Abd-Hazli Bin Zainuddin (MAS) 61 61 60
Cyril Jacobe/Michael Leong (POC) d. Adam Jaya/Yew-Ming Si (MAS) 76(4) 76(8) 76(2)
Michael Leong (POC) d. Ariez Elyaas Deen Heshaam (MAS) 61 60 61
Abd-Hazli Bin Zainuddin (MAS) d. Cyril Jacobe (POC) 75 76(2)
HONG KONG, CHINA defeated SRI LANKA 3-2
Venue: Sri Lanka Tennis Assocation, Colombo, Sri Lanka (clay - outdoors)
Harshana Godamanna (SRI) d. Hiu-Tung Yu (HKG) 63 62 60
Martin Sayer (HKG) d. Dineshkanthan Thangarajah (SRI) 63 62 60
Martin Sayer/Hiu-Tung Yu (HKG) d. Harshana Godamanna/Rajeev Rajapakse (SRI) 64 64 60
Martin Sayer (HKG) d. Harshana Godamanna (SRI) 64 36 63 64
Dineshkanthan Thangarajah (SRI) d. Gilbert Wong (HKG) 63 62