[smucav]

World Group 2008 Quarterfinal
Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow, Russia
Stadium Capacity: 6480
11 April-13 April 2008
Day 1: 13:00 hrs (9:00 hrsGMT)
Day 2: 14:00 hrs (10:00 hrs GMT)
Day 3: 13:00 hrs l (9:00 hrs GMT)
Surface: Clay-Indoors
Ball Type: Head ATP Clay Court

Czech Republic is level with Russia 4-4

Last meeting:
World Group 2003 1st Round
Russia defeated Czech Republic 3-2 in Czech Republic

 

[Zirconek]

to be played on clay

Russian team
Marat Safin
Mikhail Youzhny
Dimitry Tursunov
Nikolay davydenko
Igor Andreev

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11022008/58/davis-cup-andreev-czech-test-clay.html

http://www2.uol.com.br/tenisbrasil/davis/ultnot/ult500u2476.htm (in Portuguese)

 

[ImmzB]

Hope M.Safin can play a Singles Match here and get a Win & get his confidence back!!

 

[Zirconek]

Czech team announced:
Tomas Berdych
Radek Stepanek
Lukas Dlouhy
Pavel Vizner

http://www.ctk.cz/english/news/sports_view.php?id=305292

 

[smucav]

The ITF has announced the team nominations for the 2008 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinals and 26 Zonal ties to be played on 11-13 April. The Zonal ties include the eight Group I second round ties, the winners of which will advance to September’s World Group Play-offs.

WORLD GROUP QUARTERFINALS

RUSSIA v CZECH REPUBLIC
Venue: Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow (clay - indoors)

Russia
Nikolay Davydenko
Mikhail Youzhny
Dmitry Tursunov
Igor Andreev
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

Czech Republic
Tomas Berdych
Radek Stepanek
Lukas Dlouhy
Pavel Vizner
Captain: Jaroslav Navratil

 

[Merton]

The Czechs must hope they will get a 3-0 lead. I don't like their chances very much on the last day with the matchups Davydenko-Berdych and Andreev-Stepanek.

 

[Zirconek]

from the official website:

Berdych and Stepanek seek new glory
07 Apr 2008 - Small Sports Arena "Luzhniki", Moscow - Chris Bowers
It’s hard to believe that a proud nation such as the Czech Republic has only once been in a Davis Cup semifinal. True, it has only been in existence since 1993, and its predecessor nation Czechoslovakia was a powerhouse in the first two decades of ‘open tennis’, winning the cup in 1980. But apart from Petr Korda and Daniel Vacek’s run to the semis in 1996, when they beat the USA but then lost at home to Sweden, the Czechs haven’t made the last four.

(...)

full story: http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=14558

 

[Feel87]

Russia's experience plays in their favor and that better with the Assistants to support his country.Also Nikolay is playing better than Others each Tournament.

 

[NyGeL]

I can't see Russia losing this one. We need it to play at home in SF

 

[GlennMirnyi]

Crucial first day. 1-1 after friday should be good enough for the Czechs... doubles is a clinch and in the last day Rado should finish it, even if Berdych loses first.

 

[FANatSP]

R1 - M.SAFIN (RUS) v T.BERDYCH (CZE)
R2 - I.ANDREEV (RUS) v R.STEPANEK (CZE)
R3 - N.DAVYDENKO / M.YOUZHNY (RUS) v L.DLOUHY / P.VIZNER (CZE)
R4 - I.ANDREEV (RUS) v T.BERDYCH (CZE)
R5 - M.SAFIN (RUS) v R.STEPANEK (CZE)

 

[Action Jackson]

Tarpishev will change for sure.

 

[krystlel]

Safin playing singles, the guy that has lost his last five matches? I thought they'd go with Youzhny. Not surprising that they didn't go with Davydenko on the first day though since he didn't have much time to recover/adjust to conditions.

I also expect Tarpishev to change the line-up. I thought previously they couldn't make changes to the first day's line-ups without taking them out of the whole tie, but Djokovic didn't play the first rubber and returned on the second and third day in the first round this year.

 

[arvind13]

Apparently, Marat must be in good form in the past few days. He has been trying all year and just because he's lost five matches doesn't mean he can't turn it around at any point. And if Safin is in good form, he can beat anybody, even Federer. The effort is certainly there this year, hopefully in Davis Cup his effort and talent combine to produce a victory.

 

[Zirconek]

Tarpishev will change for sure.

and will Jaro change the doubles team too? :scratch: like he did against Belgium and Switzerland previously?

 

[GlennMirnyi]

Tarpishev just pulled a trick to be able to put Andreev vs Stepanek in the first day.

 

[FANatSP]

Go-go-go, Marat.
Kafelnikov said, that Safin was idol for Berdych

 

[Eva Kas-Jacobson]

go Russia!

 

[yamakawa]

Safin v Berdych IN PLAY

 

[yamakawa]

Safin in trouble right now, Berdych missed 2 BPs so far!