We're Underdogs, Says Russian Davis Cup Chief
BY GENNADY FYODOROV
Reuters
MOSCOW - Russia's tennis chief says his team will be the underdog in defense of its Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic.
"We're definitely the underdogs in this tie," Tarpishchev, president of the Russian tennis federation and their Davis Cup captain, told Reuters in a telephone interview Tuesday from Ostrava, the site of the first-round world group tie.
"Taking into account everything that has happened to us in the last few weeks, the Czechs must be considered big favorites. They are playing at home, their doubles team also looks much stronger than ours," Tarpishchev said.
"But most of all, we've been heavily handicapped by (Marat) Safin's injury. It threw all our preparation off track."
Last week, 2000 U.S. Open champion Safin pulled out of the Feb. 7-9 tie after injuring his left wrist at last month's Australian Open.
In his absence, Davis Cup hero Mikhail Youzhny will lead the Russian team which also includes former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov and newcomers Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreyev.
Youzhny won the decisive singles match last December when Russia won their first Davis Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over holders France in December.
Playing as a substitute for Kafelnikov, the 20-year-old came from two sets down to beat Paul-Henri Mathieu, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, in Paris.
Kafelnikov, 28, who has shelved his plans to retire after helping Russia win the Davis Cup, last week reached the ATP tournament final in Milan, where he lost to Dutch qualifier Martin Verkerk.
"Both Youzhny and Davydenko are looking fine, but unfortunately Kafelnikov is far from his best," Tarpishchev said. "He still needs a lot more conditioning under his belt to be a threat on clay. But we're running out of time here."
Asked who would be given the nod to play the singles, Tarpishchev said: "I'm not going to put all my cards on the table just yet. We still have a couple of days to get ready."