Results from Zonal Ties
Korea, Brazil, Portugal and Ukraine triumphed in their final Group II Davis Cup by BNP Paribas ties to earn promotion to Group I of their respective regional zones for 2006.
All four nations secured promotion by winning the first of Sunday’s reverse singles rubbers to establish winning 3-1 leads. In Montevideo, Brazil, playing in Group II for the first time, made sure of an immediate return to Group I by recording their sixth win in seven meetings against neighbours Uruguay, Ricardo Mello securing the winning point.
In Auckland, Hyung-Taik Lee won his third point of the Asia/Oceania Zone Group II final for Korea against New Zealand, dismissing Mark Nielsen 62 76 63 to send Korea back to Group I after two years in Group II. This is only the second time that Korea has overcome New Zealand in nine Davis Cup meetings.
In Europe/Africa Zone Group II, Ukraine defeated Bulgaria for the first time in three meetings when Mikhail Filima was a 64 64 63 winner against Todor Enev and returns to Group I for the first time since 2001. Portugal, after three years in Group II, also returned to Group I as it wrapped up victory over Slovenia when Rui Machado defeated Grega Zemlja 63 63 26 64 in the fourth rubber.
There were also celebrations in Peru, Thailand, Morocco and Israel as those nations preserved their Group I status with victory in relegation ties.
Paradorn Srichaphan clinched the third point with a 62 67 62 76 victory over Prima Simpatiaji as Thailand defeated Indonesia 4-1 to book a seventh year in Asia/Oceania Group I.
Peru inflicted the fourth straight 5-0 Davis Cup defeat on Paraguay as they secured another year in American Zone Group I, while in Europe/Africa Zone Group I, Morocco and Israel posted 4-1 victories over South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively to stay in Group I.
Mounir El Aarej defeated Rik de Voest 63 64 75 to deliver the vital third point for Morocco, the only live rubber in the tie that did not go the full five sets, to stop a four-tie losing streak in Davis Cup, while, in Harare, Israel recovered from losing the opening rubber to defeat hosts Zimbabwe, who drop into Group II for the first time since 1992.
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I 3RD ROUND PLAY-OFFS
ISRAEL defeated ZIMBABWE 4-1
Venue: Harare, Zimbabwe (hard – indoors)
Wayne Black (ZIM) d. Dudi Sela (ISR) 61 76(4) 67(2) 63
Noam Okun (ISR) d. Genius Chidzikwe (ZIM) 62 76(3) 63
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) d. Wayne Black/Gwinyai Tongoona (ZIM) 62 63 63
Dudi Sela (ISR) d. Genius Chidzikwe (ZIM) 64 64 63
Noam Okun (ISR) d. Stefan D'Almeida (ZIM) 60 62
MOROCCO defeated SOUTH AFRICA 4-1
Venue: Khemisset, Morocco (clay – outdoors)
Mounir El Aarej (MAR) d.Justin Bower (RSA) 64 64 36 46 86
Mehdi Tahiri (MAR) d. Rik De Voest (RSA) 26 62 64 46 62
Jeff Coetzee/Chris Haggard (RSA) d. Talal Ouahabi/Mehdi Ziadi (MAR) 76(4) 67(2) 46 63 75
Mounir El Aarej (MAR) d. Rik De Voest (RSA) 63 64 75
Mehdi Tahiri (MAR) d. Justin Bower (RSA) 75 76(2)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I 3RD ROUND PLAY-OFFS
PERU defeated PARAGUAY 5-0
Venue: Lima, Peru (clay – outdoors)
Ivan Miranda (PER) d. Juan-Carlos Ramirez (PAR) 75 61 63
Luis Horna (PER) d. Enzo Pigola (PAR) 61 62 61
Luis Horna/Ivan Miranda (PER) d. Ricardo Gorostiaga/Juan-Carlos Ramirez (PAR) 62 61 75
Matias Silva (PER) d. Juan-Carlos Ramirez (PAR) 63 20 ret.
Maurico Echazu (PAR) d. Enzo Pigola (PAR) 64 64
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I 3RD ROUND PLAY-OFFS
THAILAND defeated INDONESIA 4-1
Venue: Bangkok, Thailand (hard - outdoors)
Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) d. Sunu-Wahyu-Trijati (INA) 61 64 62
Danai Udomchoke (THA) d. Prima Simpatiaji (INA) 62 63 64
Suwandi Suwandi/Bonit Wiryawan (INA) d. Sanchai Ratiwatana/Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) 57 63 16 61 97
Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) d. Prima Simpatiaji (INA) 62 67(5) 62 76(6)
Sanchai Ratiwatana (THA) d. Sunu-Wahyu Trijati (INA) 76(4) 62
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II 3RD ROUND
UKRAINE defeated BULGARIA 4-1
Venue: Donetsk, Ukraine (hard – outdoors)
Orest Tereshchuk (UKR) d. Todor Enev (BUL) 62 64 63
Radoslav Lukaev (BUL) d. Sergei Yaroshenko (UKR) 64 64 76(4)
Mikhail Filima/Orest Tereshchuk (UKR) d. Ilia Kushev/Radoslav Lukaev (BUL) 64 62 76(3)
Mikhail Filima (UKR) d. Todor Enev (BUL) 64 64 63
Sergei Bubka (UKR) d. Yordan Kanev (BUL) 67(7) 64 63
PORTUGAL defeated SLOVENIA 4-1
Venue: Estoril, Portugal (clay - outdoors)
Frederico Gil (POR) d. Bostjan Osabnik (SLO) 76(3) 61 61
Marko Tkalec (SLO) d. Rui Machado (POR) 63 46 67(5) 61 63
Frederico Gil/Leonardo Tavares (POR) d. Rok Jarc/Grega Zemlja (SLO) 64 62 64
Rui Machado (POR) d. Grega Zemlja (SLO) 63 63 26 64
Frederico Gil (POR) d. Marko Tkalec (SLO) 64 75
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II FINAL
BRAZIL defeated URUGUAY 3-2
Venue: Montevideo, Uruguay (clay – outdoors)
Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) d. Marcel Felder (URU) 61 60 36 64
Pablo Cuevas (URU) d.Flavio Saretta (BRA) 63 36 64 62
Andre Sa/Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) d. Pablo Cuevas/Martin Vilarrubi (URU) 36 63 64 64
Ricardo Mello (BRA) d. Marcel Felder (URU) 67(5) 61 63 62
Pablo Cuevas (URU) d. Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) 76(5) ret.
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II FINAL
KOREA, REP. defeated NEW ZEALAND 3-2
Venue: Auckland, New Zealand (hard – indoors)
Mark Nielsen (NZL) d. Kyu-Tae Im (KOR) 06 46 64 60 52 ret.
Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Daniel King-Turner (NZL) 61 76(5) 61
Oh-Hee Kwon/Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Daniel King-Turner/Mark Nielsen (NZL) 62 62 62
Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Mark Nielsen (NZL) 62 76(8) 63
Jose "Rubin" Statham (NZL) d. Sun-Yong Kim (KOR) 64 64