[Lisbeth]

[Björki]

[Kristen]

Besancon Challenger this week

[DeccyB123]

Indian Wells Qualifying:

Ivo Minar (CZE) v. Chris Guccione (AUS)
Harel Levy (ISR) v. Vasilis Mazarakis (GRE)

Get past Minar, and he has a good shot here!

[DeccyB123]

Guccione wins 6-3 7-6

Well Done Chris! Just one more match!

[robrulz5]

A good win. Hopefully he can win his next one as well!

[star]

I watched the first set yesterday, and I'll go to his match today.

[DeccyB123]

Guccione loses 6-7 3-6

Bad Luck Chris!

[robrulz5]

Ah, bad luck.

Gooch

[star]

I watched the match today. Peter L. was there watching too. I thought that was nice.

Anyway, Chris has big man problems on wicked low balls, and his opponent fed him as many as he could. Also Chris has trouble controlling that big forehand and it goes out by miles sometimes -- and way too many times. Chris had a break early on, but when he lost the break, it seemed to break his spirit a bit as well. The tiebreak was a disaster.

Also it seems to me, Chris could be in better shape.

Great win gooch

[star]

Audio Interview Related Audio
Australia leads as Guccione wins in five
Chris Guccione (AUS) was in unfamiliar territory when he walked on court for the first rubber for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal tie against Belarus. The Australian – playing in just his third tie - had never opened a tie and was facing Max Mirnyi (BLR), a veteran of 30 Davis Cup ties for Belarus.

After three hours and 41 minutes, Guccione had scored the biggest win of his life as he defeated Mirnyi 76(4) 36 75 36 64 in a see-saw battle made tougher by the windy conditions. In doing so, he put Australia a step towards maintaining it's amazing record of not being beaten at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club for 60 years.

Biggest career win for Australian

“It’s definitely the biggest win of my career; I had a great win in Switzerland, a big win in Switzerland, but to do it in front of my family and friends it couldn’t be any bigger,” said Guccione, who won the deciding rubber in the first round tie against Switzerland in February.

“It was a bit different to Geneva because if I had lost there we would have been back in the qualifying rounds, but the pressure was still on in this one being in my home town and home country. I was really nervous at the start, but pretty happy that went away and I hit some good balls out there.”

The first set went with serve all the way to the tiebreak when Mirnyi opened up a 4- 1 lead before Guccione worked his way back into contention, reeling off six consecutive points to win the set. Mirnyi struck back pretty quickly by breaking serve in the first game of the second set and then broke once more to level the match at 1-1.

Mirnyi fights back

In the third set the shoe was on the other foot as Mirnyi started the set and dropped his serve immediately, but when the Australian was serving for the set at 5-4 a brilliant topspin lob from the Belarusian gave him a break point and then he levelled the set when Guccione sent a forehand long.

Many thought Mirnyi’s experience would kick in at this point, but Guccione showed great maturity to break again and then serve out the set. Mirnyi then came forging back to level the match at 2-2, finishing things off on his third set point with a service winner.

There was a break each mid-way through the fifth set but with Mirnyi trying to stay in the match and make it 5-5, he faltered with a double fault. Guccione sent a forehand down the line to bring up match point and on the next point Mirnyi netted a forehand volley to give Australia that first rubber.

“We’re a little disappointed, you guys (Australians) are so happy, Chris Guccione is a new hero, isn’t that what Davis Cup is all about,” said Mirnyi. “Sure it’s a disappointment. Being number one for the team and playing the number two, you are expected to win every time, at least the numbers say so, but game wise, it was a very tough match up and Chris played some good points at a time and it was very difficult.”

[star]

Guccione grinds out win

April 7, 2006 - 2:05PM

Chris Guccione has continued his brilliant Davis Cup form to give Australia the early advantage in its quarter-final tie with Belarus.

Playing inspired tennis in front of his home-city crowd in the first tie at Kooyong since 1993, Guccione made a mockery of the world rankings to squeeze out a thrilling 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 7-5 3-6 6-4 victory over Belarussian No.1 Max Mirnyi.

At 168th in the world, Guccione is 117 spots behind Mirnyi but not for the first time in his career the 20-year-old produced the goods when it mattered.

Guccione became the first Australian in 10 years to win a live fifth rubber in a Davis Cup tie when he overpowered Switzerland's George Bastle in February.

He had only won one match in three Challenger events since that watershed result and entered today's encounter as a clear underdog against a more-experienced rival boasting career wins over the likes of world No.1s Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt.

Guccione, though, has also accounted for a former world No.1, twice upsetting Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Sydney International, and it was clear from the outset he meant business against Mirnyi.

Pitting two of the biggest servers in world tennis against each other, there were no breaks in the opening set and Guccione showed great poise to recover from 4-1 down in the tiebreaker to take the set in 51 minutes.

Guccione suffered a mental lapse to drop his opening service game of the second set and was broken for a second time as Mirnyi levelled the match at a set apiece.

It was Mirnyi's turn to concede an early break in the third but Guccione returned the favour when he failed to serve out the set at
5-4.

The 20-year-old shook off the disappointment to immediately break back, forcing Mirnyi into error with clever variety from the back of the court.

Guccione didn't need a third invitation to close out the set, going 2-1 up when Mirnyi meekly netted a service return.

The Belarussian achieved the only service break of the fourth set in the fourth game to push the marathon match into a fifth and deciding set.

The two traded early services breaks in the fifth before Guccione finally prevailed after three hours and 41 minutes when Mirnyi lost his nerve and serve for a second time in the set, netting a volley on match point.

Lleyton Hewitt was next on court for Australia, the world No.12 taking on the 457th-ranked Vladimir Voltchkov.

Success for Hewitt would put Australia in control of the three-day tie as it chases a semi-final berth against either defending champion Croatia or Argentina in September.