SATURDAY, JULY 11 – After tortuous five-set losses by James Blake and Mardy Fish on Friday, it was up to the Bryan Brothers to give the US a shot at redemption and they came through with flying colors in a 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win over inexperienced Croatian pair Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko in the Davis Cup quarters.
On Sunday, the US hopes to do what it hasn’t since 1934, come back from 0-2 deficit. “That’s an amazing stat,” said Bob Bryan. “It’s unbelievable, but we’ve got an unbelievable group of guys here. If you saw yesterday’s two singles matches, everyone gave everything they had, Mardy was bleeding, James lost a heartbreaker but he’s in good spirits today, so I think they’re going to come out fired up, and on paper we’re looking pretty good.” On Sunday, Blake takes on Marin Cilic in the first match, and Ivo Karlovic is set to face Fish in the second.
Israel reached it’s first semifinal ever when Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram outlasted Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn and Marat Safin 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4 in 3 hours and 51 minutes. The Israelis will await the outcome of the Spain against Germany quarterfinal tie to see who they will play. Spain leads the tie 2-1 after Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco defeated Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-7(6), 6-3.
In Ostrava, the Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead in tie against Argentina when Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek bested Jose Acasuso and Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
On the WTA Tour, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez upset Caroline Wozniacki 7-4, 6-4 to win her second career title at the Collector Swedish Open Women.
In Budapest, local hero Agnes Szavay defeated Alona Bondarenko 6-1, 6-2 in the semis.
Anyone checking out the World Team Tennis scores? How about this: Sloane Stephens tooka win over Venus Williams and Jan- Michael Gambill beat Andre Agassi. Serena Williams has also been playing and has competed for Washington in six matches — all wins. Michael Chang lost both his matches for Sacto.
Davis Cup Quarters: Karlovic, Cilic, Berdych, JMDP, Israel Shine
FRIDAY, JULY 10 – Ivo Karlovic was 0-11 in five set matches until he came from two sets down to overcome James Blake 6-7(5), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-5, giving Croatia the first point of their Davis Cup tie against the U.S. Of course Blake was 0-9 in five-setters until the 2007 US Open, so Karlovic selected a perfect occasion in which to push his tired legs through. Then Marin Cilic overcame Mardy Fish 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-1, 8-6 in four hours 23 minutes, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Israel stunned Russia, opening up a 2-0 lead in Tel Aviv when Harel Levy shocked Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the opening rubber and then Dudi Sela took apart Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5.
“I felt as if I had two F-16s out there today, they played amazingly well,” said Israeli captain Eyal Ran.
In Spain, Fernando Verdasco beat Andreas Beck 6-0, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1, but then Philipp Kohlschreiber overcame Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to even up the tie at 1-1.
In Ostrava, Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro squared the tie up with a 6-1, 6-3, 63over Czech Ivo Minar. In the opener, Tomas Berdych came back from two sets to one down against Juan Monaco in a 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
Former Aussie Open champ Brydan Klein accepted a six-month ban for racially abusing an opponent during an ATP event in England last month. The 19-year-old was said to have called Klaasen a “kaffir” and spat at his coach and another player.
Klein was earlier fined $13,290 by Tennis Australia, which also suspended him from the Australian Institute of Sport and cut off his funding. Klein had previously been suspended from the AIS for poor on-court behavior.
In Sweden, top seed Caroline Wozniacki (overcame Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and will meet Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who beat Gisela Dulko 7-5, 6-4. Winners in Budapest were Agnes Szavay, Alona Bondarenko and Edina Gallovits… Doctors have diagnosed Jelena Dokic with mononucleosis, and the Aussie will rest for at least the next two weeks….Sania Mirza was forced to give back her Bank of the West Classic wild card because she had already accepted the maximum amount of WC’s for the year, but will play qualies along with Nicole Vaidisova (now ranked No. 243) , Melanie Oudin and Alexa Glatch.
From TennisReporters.net
