:haha:
This is the good stuff. A stir up shit journo, two team mates in conflict and they even bring in the top suit at the end.
From Svenska Dagbladet:
Rift in the Swedish DC team
Open conflict between Robin Söderling and the other Swedish players
Sweden's Davis Cup team is shook by internal struggles. Cause: Robin Söderling declined to play in the India tie due to a knee injury but will participate in the Bangkok ATP tournament which starts today.
-I didn't want to risk retiring from a DC match, says Robin to SvD.
-He probably knows he's done wrong, says Andreas Vinciguerra.
Robin Söderling has also before had trouble gelling with the DC gang and the other day he got to know the rift was even deeper.
-I received an sms from the guys in the team which said: "Good luck in Bangkok".( :lol: )
How did you react?
-Bah, it's so ridiculous and unneccessary, this doesn't make it more fun to play DC. It would've been better if they'd called me to check out the facts first.
What are the facts?
-I have a knee injury which will be operated on after the last tournament of the year. The doctors have said it won't be aggravated by playing.
But why withdraw from a DC match to play an ATP tournament now?
-Because I only play for myself on the tour, if I feel pain I can retire and it will only affect myself. If I was playing DC and had to retire the whole team would suffer, says the 21 year old Västgöte, who is not surprised by the other guys reaction.
-I could almost forsee they would think I'm egoistical, I just let them do it, I couldn't care less.
Although Andreas Vinciguerra and the other players of the DC team don't call-at least not in public- Robin a traitor, they are critical of his actions and hesitant towards his explanation:
-If I had said no to DC i would never play the week after. The question is how Robin's knee suddenly could be so well he can play both singles and doubles in Bangkok. But I hope the injury is the real reason behind his not playing, says "Vinci".
What do you mean?
-Well, unless there's another reason($$$$$$$), which would be disrespectful towards the team and the country, says "Vinci" who is affected the most by Robin's withdrawal.
The 24 year old skåning misses two claycourt tournaments, and the week in New Delhi is a big bump on his comeback trail after a couple of years in injury hell.
-Me, I don't hesitate to come if the team needs me, says "Vinci", who knew he'd be a reserve player.
Söderling says he also doesn't hesitate to play DC but will have to live with the doubts.
-The behaviour as such doesn't send a positive signal, says, the head of Swedens Tennis Association, Tony Wiréhn, although he doesn't want to pass to harsh a judgment.
-I want to talk to Robin in person before I say any more, but if it's the case he doesn't feel the same joy as the others representing his country, we'll have to do something about it.
If spontaneous Robin Söderling only looked after his own rapport with the DC team he would in the current situation be served by being more calculating and withdraw from the Bangkok tournament- "the knee wasn't up for it".
Jonas Arnesen
Now they need to rig the draw for R32 of the Stockholm Open so we can have a :boxing: Toad vs. Vince
(Sorry about the sloppy translation. No time. No dictionary)