[jirobkk]

Thailand team:
Paradorn SRICHAPHAN (single: 11, double: 118)
Danai UDOMCHOKE (single: 187, double: 201)
Attapol RITHIWATTANAPONG (double: 1598)
Narathorn SRICHAPHAN (double: 1598)
Chanachai Srichaphan (Captain team)

Czech Rep. Team:
Jiri NOVAK (single: 10, double: 33)
Thomas Berych (single: 109, double: 207)
Bohdan Ulihrach (single: 142, double: 355)
David Rikl ( double : 14)
Cyril SUK (Captain team)

The tie will be playing in Bangkok, Thailand during 19 Sep - 21 Sep, 2003.

GO Thailand team.

 

[jirobkk]

News from local newspaper: The Nation

DAVIS CUP WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFF: THAIS UPBEAT
Published on Jul 11, 2003

The Czech Republic have tipped hosts Thailand as favourites to win their Davis Cup World Group Play-off from September 19-21 at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani.

Chanachai Srichaphan, the Thai team captain and father of Paradorn, said Czech captain Robert Krechler admitted to him that it would be an uphill task for his squad to beat the Thai team at home.

"They discussed the Davis Cup with me several times and they are quite concerned. They consider us the favourites to win the tie, even though their team is stronger,'' said Chanachai, whose team also features Paradorn, world No 183 Danai Udomchoke, his other son Narathorn and Attapol Rithiwattanapong.

Chanachai added that Krechler said the big difference for the Czech team would be the hotter weather in Thailand - at the time of year the tie will be played it will be cold in Europe.

"I already told him we will be playing indoors, but he believes the conditions will still be too hot for his players as the temperature in his country is very low at that time,'' said Chanachai in his first year as Thai captain. The visitor's will send their best two players, world No 10 Jiri Novak and No 39 Radek Stepanek, who have both had victories over Paradorn. Despite his status as the world's No 10, Novak was not expected to be a big threat, according to Chanachai.

"He has not been playing at the top of his game lately, so I think Paradorn will have good chance against him. But the one who looks more dangerous is Stepanek, who was praised a lot by the Czech captain as the best player in his country at the moment,'' Chanachai said.

However, the opportunity for Thailand to get a slot in the elite group for the first time in history also depends on Thai No 2 Danai, who is not considered a big challenge for the two Czechs. Chanachai, though, has a different point of view.

"Danai always brings out his best tennis when it comes to Davis Cup. If he is 100 per cent physically, he can do some damage,'' Chanachai said.

 

[Vut]

Good Luck THAILAND Team.

 

[jirobkk]

The local Thai newspaper just announced today that Radek STEPANEK, the world number 41 won't be playing the Davis Cup World Group Play-off due to his recently injury. The tie will be playing from September 19-21 at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani in Thailand. They announced the players name of the both teams as below:

Thailand team( ranknig : as of 8 Sep )
Paradorn SRICHAPHAN (single: 11, double: 79)
Danai UDOMCHOKE (single: 190, double: 162)
Attapol RITHIWATTANAPONG (single: 1321, double: 1670)
Narathorn SRICHAPHAN (double: 1670)

Czech Rep. Team( ranknig : as of 8 Sep )
Jiri NOVAK (single: 12, double: 75)
Berdych, Tomas (single: 109, double: 210)
Ulihrach, Bohdan (single: 139, double: 367)
Rikl, David (double: 14)

Good chance for the Thai team.

C'mon Thailand.

 

[jirobkk]

Top Czechs out of Davis Cup tie

Published on Sep 12, 2003

[TENNIS] Thailand's chances of qualifying for the 2004 Davis Cup World Group for the first time improved when the Czech Republic's second and third players withdrew.

The Czech Republic's No 2 player Radek Stepanek pulled out due to an injury he picked up at the US Open two weeks ago.

Ranked No 41 in the world, Stepanek retired due to back pain in the third round of the US Open in his match against sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.

The Czech's Republic's third choice, Martin Damm, also withdrew to spend time with his wife, who just gave a birth.

The withdrawal of Stephanek means world No 12 Jiri Novak will be the only main threat for the Thai team. The Czech squad will have to depend on No 3 Thomas Berych, ranked No 109, Bohdan Ulihrach and doubles specialist David Rikl.

In contrast the local side features a strong team comprising world No 11 Paradorn Srichaphan and No 190 Danai Udomchoke, plus Narathorn Srichaphan and Attapol Rithiwattanapong for the doubles.

The three-day showpiece event will take place from September 19-21 at the Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.

"Our chances look great. We hope we can win two points from Paradorn and one from Danai. That will be enough to enter the next round," said Sathien Montkongtham, vice-president of the Lawn Association of Thailand.

"As the hosts, we're lucky that our players will have a large amount of support from the locals fans. With the absence of Stepanek, we're more likely to win," added Sathien.

According to the schedule, the Czech squad will arrive in Bangkok on Sunday and the draw will take place on Thursday morning at the Dusit Thani Hotel .

"No matter how the draw comes out, on the Sunday reverse singles at 2pm we'll see Thailand's No 1 Paradorn taking on Czech No 1 Novak for sure. It's going to be the highlight of the tie. The No 1 of each country will be battling for their pride," said Sathien.

Meanwhile, 70,000 kilograms of high quality tennis equipment was officially handed over to the organisers of the US$550,000 (Bt22.9 million) Thailand Open, the first ATP-sanctioned event ever held in Thailand.

The tournament at the end of this month has cost organisers $120,000 in import fees to bring in the equipment, including the court.

"So far everything is good. The only problem we have is the rough ground. We have to level it before starting to put everything in place," said Peter Rooney, production manager of BEC-Tero International Division.

"By this Saturday the court will be done and will be ready for the players to practice with on Sunday," he added.

Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon
THE NATION

 

[Lindsayfan]

good Luck Thailand!

 

[Aphrodite]

C'mon Thailand team

 

[jirobkk]

Danai aims to get one point in Davis Cup tie

Published on Sep 16, 2003

[TENNIS] Thai No 2 Danai Udomchoke has pinned his hopes on taking one point from his two singles matches in the weekend’s Davis Cup World Group Play-off against the Czech Republic.

The world No 190 is to take on world No 12 Jiri Novak on Friday in the first singles rubber and then 18-year-old Tomas Berdych, ranked 109, in Sunday’s reverse singles. One victory from his two matches could earn the Kingdom a berth in next year’s elite group.

Of course Danai will be no match for the tall Novak, who would even be a handful for Thai No 1 Paradorn Srichaphan. But Danai is quite optimistic about his duel with Berdych, ranked No 109 in the world – 81 places above Danai.

“I’ve seen him practise and I can tell that he is a good player. But I think I have a better chance against him than against Jiri,” said Danai, who on Sunday paid a visit to a sacred shrine in Ayutthaya, where he prayed for one win from the tie.

“For Novak, his groundstrokes are very solid. He used to be in the top 10 and it will be very tough to play him,” admitted Danai of his chances against the Czech No 1.

The Thai team, also including Attapol Rithiwattanapong and Narathorn Srichaphan as doubles choices, expects to get two points from world No 11 Paradorn. If everything goes according to plan and Danai gets a point from his matches, the hosts will collect three points which is enough to send them through to the 2004 World Group.

There is a high possibility that Paradorn and Danai will have to team up for Saturday’s doubles rubber against doubles specialist David Rikl, No 14 in the doubles rankings, and the experienced Bohdan Ulihrach. The Czechs might recruit Novak, who is ranked No 75 in the doubles, for the doubles instead of Ulihrach to put their team in a better position.

“Even if Paradorn and I team up for the doubles we are still underdogs against the Czech team. The doubles is always the crucial point for both teams,” said Danai, who has a fine 17-7 win-loss record in the Davis Cup.

The Thai and Czech players have been training at the 4,000-seat Impact Arena since Sunday. The indoor hard court surface suits Danai’s baseline game. “It is not as fast as I had expected, which suits my style. On this surface I play consistently and wait for the right moment to surge to the net,” said Danai.

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam
The Nation

 

[jirobkk]

TENNIS / DAVIS CUP BUILDUP (Bangkok Post)

Danai Udomchoke ... could hold the key for Thailand.

Danai can cause an upset against Czechs, says official
Tor Chittinand

A top Thai tennis official believes Thailand can upset the Czech Republic in this weekend's Davis Cup match at Muang Thong Thani.

Chaipak Siriwat, chairman of the Thai Davis Cup Organising Committee, said Thailand were quite capable of winning the match.

``I believe that Paradorn Srichaphan will capture two points and that Danai Udomchoke can create an upset,'' he said. ``But we must not underestimate the Czech team because Jiri Novak is a strong player and has beaten Paradorn before.

``I have told Paradorn to play steadily and keep his concentration.''

He said Danai could hold the key. ``I've told him not to put pressure on himself and just get on with the match.''

The official draw of the Davis Cup will be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel on Thursday at 10am.

Concerning the forthcoming Thailand Open, Chaipak said the chief executive officer of the ATP, Mark Miles, will arrive on Friday and will attend the official draw on Saturday.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to attend the tournament on Tuesday evening to watch Paradorn play his opening match.

The two star Spanish players, French Open champion and world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya, will arrive in Bangkok next Tuesday morning.

 

[jirobkk]

TENNIS / DAVIS CUP WORLD GROUP PLAYOFF BUILDUP (Bangkok Post)

Thais confident for Czech showdown
Chanachai: Crowd can give players a lift
Tor Chittinand

Thailand and the Czech Republic are both ready and brimming with confidence as they prepare to battle it out for a place in the Davis Cup World Group when they meet at Muang Thong Thani's Impact Arena starting on Friday.

The Kingdom, boosted by in-form world No 11 Paradorn Srichaphan, are seeking their first-ever spot in the World Group, while the Czechs, led by world No 12 Jiri Novak, hope to maintain their placing among the elite 16.

Thailand's other players for the three-day playoff are Danai Udomchoke, Narathorn Srichaphan and Attapol Rithiwattanapong. Novak is supported by Tomas Berdych, Bohdan Ulihrach and David Rikl.

At a press conference yesterday, Thailand captain Chanachai Srichaphan said although his team were underdogs, he was confident they would be spurred by local supporters and beat the Czechs.

``Anything can happen in the match. The cheering from the Thai crowd will make our players become more confident. The side which is more concentrated will win the tie,'' said Chanachai, also Paradorn's father.

``Danai has improved a lot. He can beat any player but he will need to be at his very best to beat Jiri Novak.''

At the moment, Narathorn and Attapol are slated to play the doubles. But Chanachai said he may change the line-up depending on the outcome of the first day. If the match is tied at 1-1 after the first day, Chanachai said he may use Paradorn and Danai in the doubles.

Paradorn said that although he was defeated by Novak in the Madrid Masters Series tournament last year, he is confident that he will avenge the defeat in their only previous meeting.

``Novak plays very well on hard-court but I know what to do on this kind of court. The court (for the match) is fine. It is not too fast or too slow,'' said Paradorn.

The Thai star has been in impressive form. He retained his TD Waterhouse title in Long Island last month and reached the fourth round of the US Open earlier this month.

The Czechs are without their number two Radek Stepanek who is out injured but they are confident that they will get past the Thais in the World Group play-off tie.

``Although Stepanek is not with the team, we still have good players who can replace him in the singles. I am confident that we can beat Thailand in front of their home crowd,'' Czech captain Cyril Suk said.

``Thailand benefits as the home country, the crowd will be with them. I think we will win, but not easily.''

He said he had not yet made a decision on who would be his second singles player and would only reveal his choice at the official draw.

Novak said he was confident that the Czechs would remain in the World Group. ``We have big players and a up-and-coming star, which makes us a pretty strong team,'' Novak said, referring to Berdych.

``Paradorn has improved a lot since I beat him in Madrid last year on the same surface. It will be good to play against him on the third day of the competition.''

Berdych, who will be playing in his first Davis Cup match, said it would be tough to play against Paradorn on the first day as the Thai is a good and strong player who is in top form.

The Czech side lost to Davis Cup champions Russia 3-2 in the first-round match of the World Group.

Thailand defeated South Korea 4-1 at home and Uzbekistan 4-1 to reach the playoff match against the Czechs after losing 3-2 to Britain last year in Birmingham, England.

 

[jirobkk]

Czech team confident of success
Published on Sep 17, 2003

[TENNIS] Despite the absence of Radek Stephanek, the Czech Republic vowed that their players were capable of beating Thailand in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani this weekend.

The Czech Republic team is confident that world No 12 Jiri Novak, No 109 Tomas Berdych and doubles players Bohdan Ulihrach and David Rikl will be good enough to get them through to the elite group next year.

"Stephanek is injured and could not come to this tie. But we still have good players in the team and we think we will win,'' said Czech captain Cyril Suk at the venue yesterday. The draw will be held on Thursday at the Dusit Thani Hotel.

No matter how confident the visitors are, they were well aware that the 11th-ranked Paradorn Srichaphan and Thai No 2 Danai Udomchoke, ranked 179 places below his countryman, would not make it a walk in the park for them. There is also the fact that playing in front of cheering local tennis enthusiasts could inspire the Thai players to pull off a surprise victory.

"In the Davis Cup you never know what is going to happen. The Thai team will have the home advantage and support from the crowds. It's not going to be easy for us, but in the end we will win,'' added Suk, who could play in the doubles rubber on Saturday if necessary.

Novak, a former top 10 player, appeared the most confident of his team-mates. And he has every reason to be, especially after a three-set victory over Thai ace Paradorn in the quarter-final of the Madrid Masters Series last year on the same type of court, a hard court imported from Spain.

"Paradorn is a good player and has improved from last year. But I beat him in Madrid also on this surface, which gives me confidence,'' said the tall Czech No 1, who denied carrying any pressure being the team's major hope.

"We have all good players in the team and even Ulihrach and Rikl are doubles specialists. Overall we are quite a strong team and all the Czech players think we have a great chance to win,'' added the 28-year-old Novak, who is based in Monte Carlo.

Of all the visitors, 18-year-old Berdych is the only Cup debutante. He is supposed to play the singles rubber against Paradorn on Friday.

"This will be my first time in the Davis Cup and it is very nice. Paradorn used to be a top 10 player. It's going to be tough match for me,'' said the teenager, who as a qualifier made it to the second round of the US Open this year.

Thai captain Chanachai Srichaphan admitted that the home team were still the underdogs even though the Czech Republic would be weakened without the injured Stephanek. But he has high hopes that strong support from the Thai fans will help turn the situation around.

"In a tournament like the Davis Cup, it doesn't matter that you are underdogs because the real motivation is the cheers from the crowd which can push you to make a difference. We are playing at home and that's the big advantage,'' said Chanachai, the father and coach of Paradorn.

For Paradorn the biggest hurdle is Sunday's reverse singles against Novak. Despite his loss to the Czech last year, the Thai star said he is now a different player.

"Last year I was a low ranked player, but now I am No 12 in the world. I have improved over the last year and have better experience. I might have lost to him on this type of surface, but in fact the hard court is my favourite,'' said Paradorn, who yesterday renewed an endorsement with Adidas which was expected to be worth more than Bt10 million.

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam
The Nation

 

[Lindsayfan]

i find czech confidence excessive

Go Paradorn,kick their fat ass!! :fiery:

sorry Jiri,i still like ya!

 

[Wojtek]

R1 - UDOMCHOKE (THA) vs NOVAK (CZE)
R2 - SRICHAPHAN (THA) vs ULIHRACH (CZE)
R3 - RITHIWATTANAPONG / SRICHAPHAN (THA) vs NOVAK / RIKL (CZE)
R4 - SRICHAPHAN (THA) vs NOVAK (CZE)
R5 - UDOMCHOKE (THA) vs ULIHRACH (CZE)

Why Ulihrach

 

[jirobkk]

Thomas Berych got sick. Bohdan Ulihrach is replaced him as a number 2 player.

Order of play : 19 Sep

The match start at 14:00 pm.

Danai Udomchoke(THA) vs Jiri Novak(CZE)

Followed by:
Paradorn Srichaphan(THA) vs Bohdan Ulihrach(CZE)

C'mon Thailand.
Good luck Czech Rep.

 

[lin]

:awww: Tomas I was expecting his performance here get well soon !!

 

[Wojtek]

Novak def. Udomchoke 6:2 6:2 7:6

 

[Wojtek]

Paradorn 7:6 1:0

 

[Wojtek]

Paradorn 7:6 6:2 4:3

 

[Wojtek]

Paradorn 7:6 6:2 7:6

1:1 after first day

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

well done Paradorn
its up to him

doubles will decide this match most likely
can't see CZE losing doubles