[Zirconek]

Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Macedonia beats Latvia 4-1 (February 8-10, 2008)

Macedonia 4-0 Latvia

Place: Hall - Jane Sandanski - Skopje, Skopje
Stadium Capacity: 1100
Date: 08 February - 10 February 2008
Surface: Clay (Art. Clay) - Indoors
Ball Type: Babolat Team

Day 1: 1600 hrs (1500 GMT)
R1 - L.MAGDINCEV (MKD) def. E.GULBIS (LAT) 2-6 6-4 6-2 1-6 6-2
R2 - P.RUSEVSKI (MKD) def. A.JUSKA (LAT) 7-6(3) 6-3 7-5


Day 2: 1500 hrs (1400 GMT)
R3 - L.MAGDINCEV / P.RUSEVSKI (MKD) def. E.GULBIS / A.JUSKA (LAT) 6-1 6-3 6-0

Day 3: 1500 hrs (1400 GMT)
R4 - I.MARTINOSKI (MKD) def. K.LEJNIEKS (LAT) 6-3 6-4
R5 - T.JOTOVSKI (MKD) v D.PAVLOVS (LAT)


tie details: http://www.daviscup.com/ties/tie.asp?tie=100010135
Europe/Africa Group I draw: http://www.daviscup.com/results/ea1.asp

April 11-13
Macedonia plays against Netherlands (in Macedonia) for a spot in World Group play-offs (2nd round)
July 18-20
Latvia plays against the loser of Italy vs Croatia(to be played on April 11-13) (1st round play-off)

Macedonia, F.Y.R.
Predrag Rusevski
Lazar Magdincev
Ilija Martinoski
Tomislav Jotovski
Captain: Dejan Marinkovic

Latvia
Ernests Gulbis
Andis Juska
Deniss Pavlovs
Karlis Lejnieks
Captain: Girts Dzelde

http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=14453

 

[KitinovRules]

Surface: indoor clay
Arena: MZT Skopje
08 February - 10 February 2008

Teams:

MACEDONIA
Predrag Rusevski
Lazar Magdinchev
Ilija Martinoski
Tomislav Jotovski

LATVIA

Ernest Gulbis
Andis Juska
Deniss Pavlovs
KArlis Lejnieks

 

[KitinovRules]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Gulbis still hasn't arrived in Skopje. It is said that he will arrive today (wednesday 06th ) or tommorow (thursday 07th). To me it is unlikely for him to play in Skopje, considering the problems he has with knee.

 

[yumo]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Gulbis still hasn't arrived in Skopje. It is said that he will arrive today (wednesday 06th ) or tommorow (thursday 07th). To me it is unlikely for him to play in Skopje, considering the problems he has with knee.

What? Gulbis was injured

 

[Snowwy]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

I doubt even a healthy Gulbis would be Rusevski

 

[KitinovRules]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Gulbis is in Skopje now. He will definitely play tommorow in the singles match against Magdinchev.
He is not injured ,but he said to Magdinchev (who has met him in Austria some weeks ago ) that his knee is not 100% OK.

 

[Raymz]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Hey KitinovRules,

Maybe You can describe Macedonia players a little bit more. I checked this season stats and didn't find anything except one futures first round exit one of your players.

Also I wanted to ask about court - how fast is it? also how many spectators are expected?

About situation in Latvia team - It isn't good at all. Gulbis has injury problems and He didn't practice regular lately. Also our #2 Juska has problems with stomach, that forced him to withdraw from AO qualies, when He won first set. Also Pavlovs has some injury problems.
Still I think we will win. Gulbis should be too much for Macedonia players. Also I expect win from doubles

 

[Snowwy]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Predrag Rusevski

Great year last year, currently ranked 247. He's a pretty solid clay courter. He won something like 6 or 7 futures last year but he's struggled in the past few months a bit and got injured in mid-December only playing once since.

 

[Zirconek]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

Day 1: 1600 hrs (1500 GMT)
R1 - L.MAGDINCEV (MKD) v E.GULBIS (LAT)
R2 - P.RUSEVSKI (MKD) v A.JUSKA (LAT)


Day 2: 1500 hrs (1400 GMT)
R3 - L.MAGDINCEV / P.RUSEVSKI (MKD) v E.GULBIS / A.JUSKA (LAT)


Day 3: 1500 hrs (1400 GMT)
R4 - P.RUSEVSKI (MKD) v E.GULBIS (LAT)
R5 - L.MAGDINCEV (MKD) v A.JUSKA (LAT)

 

[Labamba]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

good luck to Latvia

It won't be easy, Macedonians will use every trick in the book to upset the favourites.

 

[KitinovRules]

Re: Europe-Africa group I Macedonia-Latvia

Well Snowwy said something, it is OK.
Predrag had very good 2007 (for his standard). He won 4 futures in a row (everything on clay) in April-May and in the summer played few challengers.
He is good baseliner , has solid shots of both sides , forehand is very good.
The worst thing of his game is service.

Our second player is Lazar Magdinchev, he is not that much of a clay court player , he has good first service, second one is not that good. He is spinning the 2nd service too much.

They both play doubles together, they could be very dangerous. Though their ranking doesn't show that, they are solid doubles players. They know each other very well, and in the past 2 years they have won 2 challengers together,though haven't played too much.

All in all Latvia are favourites, but also Jarkko and Finland were and we have beaten them.

The court is quite slow (just seen it) - I think that Latvians are the ones who would have more problems with it!

 

[KitinovRules]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

good luck to Latvia

It won't be easy, Macedonians will use every trick in the book to upset the favourites.

You have briefed Nieminens?

 

[Nadie]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

good luck Latvia :rocker2:

 

[kada starpiba]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

any live score here?

 

[KitinovRules]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

The matches are starting at 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT).
I am not sure that there will be any live scoring.

 

[jitterbug]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

Gulbis has a bit of a knee problem

 

[Jonasss]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

Any news about Ernest ??

 

[HeretiC]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

If he has any knee injury it ain't shows. His movement and rythm are uninterupted at all.
Btw he is 5:2 in first set.

 

[Jonasss]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

HeretiC any livescore is there ??

 

[HeretiC]

Re: Europe/Africa group I 1st round - Latvia at Macedonia (February 8-10, 2008)

HeretiC any livescore is there ??

Not that I found any, I am watching it live on tv. Gulbis won first set 6-2 .