Davis Cup World Group Play-Offs

I know the Davis Cup Semi's get most of attention ( and also deserve it ), but what about the Play-Off's? Who'll have to leave the World Group, who is going to get a 2nd chance?

In my opinion it'll look something like this.

Austria - Mexico -> Austria
Jurgen Melzer will lead his country into the World Group... and add the fact that he's going to play doubles with Julian Knowle.
4:1 Austria

Germany - Thailand -> Germany
Thai's are going to get beaten big time.
5:0 Germany

Netherlands - Czech Republic - Czech Republic
Seriously, why do the Dutch play on Carpet? They will receive a fatal loss at home.
4:1 Czech Republic

Romania - Korea -> Romania
I don't think Korea has too many well playing Clay Court players, so this should be possible for old Andrei and his team.
4:1 Romania

Slovak Republic - Belgium -> Belgium
Not only that I have a sympathy for the Belgians, they should win, even though I don't really get why Malisse doesn't play. Is he injured or doesn't he play Davis Cup in general?
3:2 Belgium

Spain - Italy -> Spain
any comment on that? maybe the Italians will have a tiny chance in the Doubles....
4:1 Spain

Brazil - Sweden -> Sweden
Soderling is good on clay, he will lead his team to this out of town win.
4:1 Sweden

Switzerland - Serbia & Montenegro -> Switzerland
They won't get this for free, but in the end won't have a chance.
3:2 Switzerland

Austria - Mexico:
Is going to end on saturday. Mexico will be spanked and it's only chance of a point is in the dead rubbers.

Germany - Thailand:
Germany easily.

Netherlands - Czech Republic
Easy for Berdych and co.

Romania - South Korea
Romania easily.

Slovak Republic - Belgium
Belgium. Bot very easily, as Vliegen seems to be in a bad form lately. Even if Hrbaty wins his two singles matches, he's just too awful at the net to make a point in the doubles.

Spain - Italy
The spaniards' moonballing is extreme. No chance for the italian team.

Brazil - Sweden
The closest tie. Brazil will surely put up a good tie. Sweden has better players, though. I'm not sure about the winner, but it's going to be 3-2.

Switzerland x Serbia and Montenegro
Another 3-2, probably, although not a close tie, as there's a high probability that Roger will win all the matches he plays.

More crap from, where else?, Tennis-x:

Federer Unpopular for Swiss Davis Cup?

From Reuters on Swiss fans possibly tiring of Roger Federer's duck-in duck-out approach to playing Davis Cup: "After wowing a sell-out New York crowd to win his third U.S. Open title nine days ago, Roger Federer faces the prospect of empty seats when he leads Switzerland in a Davis Cup relegation battle against Serbia on home soil this weekend. Many regard the world number one and nine-times grand slam champion as the world's greatest sportsman, but Swiss fans are not exactly clamouring for tickets for the tie to be held in an arena on the edge of Geneva airport. With just three days to go until the start of the tie organisers say one third of the 5,780 tickets are unsold....

Several reasons have been put forward in the Swiss media for the lack of interest in this weekend's tie, including the low-profile opposition and earlier doubts as to whether Federer would actually play...His third successive Wimbledon triumph last year was seen by just 321,000 television viewers in Switzerland -- making it only the 89th most-watched sporting event of 2005. Even his first Wimbledon victory in 2003, watched by 545,000, was only the 27th biggest televised sporting event of the year. Federer, however, says he has no problem with the Swiss public, but urged people to come to the tie in Geneva. "I don't think it's true that I'm unloved in Switzerland because everywhere I go here I have people telling me that their children or their parents are huge fans of mine and are happy to see me playing and doing well."

it's crap... when Roger and Mirka came back from New York to Switzerland after USO, a lot of fans were at the airport waiting for his arrival, we could watch this on Swiss tv au telejournal. I don't go to the Davis for personal reasons because it's more than 2 hours for getting out of the parking of Palexpo and i can't stand underground places *claustrophobia*. I prefer to go to Basel in October, there will be Federer and... Berdych. When i speak with friends, that's true, the low-profile of Serbia-Montenegro doesn't attract people -not all know Novak Djokovic- and last but not least... it's VERY EXPENSIVE minimum 200 Francs Suisses/3 days.

it's pretty much the same here in germany. only 50% of the tickets were sold, and that has nothing to do with the place where the tied is held. the Rochusclub is known worldwide for the Arag World Team Cup, but I think people were disappointed by the german team in 1st round action against france.

this could also be a reason why one would say "federer unpopular for davis cup"
he didn't play the 1st round and pretty much left his team alone. they would've needed him, so people are skeptic.