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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 2, 2005 23:04:56 GMT 3
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Post by Annie on Dec 2, 2005 23:29:24 GMT 3
thank you sweetie...great photos  |
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marats
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Post by marats on Dec 2, 2005 23:34:31 GMT 3
Thank you Safinno1 for the nice pics !!!
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Post by Annie on Dec 5, 2005 10:27:30 GMT 3
   So............ 2006 BNP Baribas Davis Cup winners - CROATIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *applause* Croatia wins the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Mario Ancic defeated Michal Mertinak 76(1) 63 64 after two hours 50 minutes in the decisive fifth rubber to win Croatia its first ever Davis Cup by BNP Paribas title. For Croatia, this is an achievement that will reverberate around the young country, and rank above or at least alongside its third-place finish at the 1998 soccer World Cup. Afterwards, as the Croatians celebrated ecstatically on court, there was no doubting what becoming the 12th champion nation of this unique event meant to them – and their countrymen, as those of whom lucky enough to be in the stadium went wild and let off flares in the stands. "I won this already three times with [the] Germans, but to win with Croatian people, the people that I know very, very well, that we have very good atmosphere all year long, I'm really proud of my boys," said a beaming Croatian Captain, Niki Pilic, afterwards. "I am [the] only guy in the world to win with two nations Davis Cup, but that is not important. Important is the feeling in my own people we won it. This is for us an historic moment. "I'm sure this is beautiful for tennis, and for sport in Croatia altogether." Yet for the Slovak Republic too, this was still in many ways a triumphant occasion. They contributed to a magnificent sporting occasion that went right down to the wire, and like their opponents, they have put their country on the map in a way few of their compatriots have yet had the opportunity to do in the nation’s short history. "I can say that all the guys played very well and brought very intensive and emotional experience to all of us," said Captain Miloslav Mecir. "So in this tie, there was no winner or loser because everybody who participated was a winner." "Of course, there is no need to cry," agreed Dominik Hrbaty. "I am such a person that I am happy to have a medal of any kind." Although it would have been fitting for Ljubicic, the man who had had a hand in every point for Croatia in their 2005 Davis Cup odyssey, to have clinched the winning rubber, it was also appropriate that someone else should secure the trophy in this team competition. "I would like to say that I'm probably the happiest loser in the world today," laughed Ljubicic later. Mario Ancic had not won a live singles rubber in 2005, and even though he was up against an opponent ranked far below him and used to playing mainly at Challenger level, the Davis Cup was in many ways his to lose. "It's obviously two-all, so there's only win situation," said Ancic. "There's no excuses. You know, you're world champion or you're not. It's simple as that."
Ancic held his nerve to complete a Croatian dream that really started to become reality at the 2004 Olympic Games, when Ancic and Ljubicic won the bronze medal by defeating Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes 76 46 16-14, in a match that ended at 1.05am.
Both Ancic and Ljubicic have talked of how that win really cemented their belief in themselves as a team, and made them aware of what they could achieve for their nation. If Athens was where the seeds of this Davis Cup dream were sown, Ljubicic cultivated them all year in ties in California, Split and Moscow, and it finally flowered here thanks to both Ljubicic and Ancic.
Ultimately, it was the result – both in the final rubber and the tie overall – that most neutral observers had anticipated, but as always in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, it was not nearly as straightforward as that sounds.
The Davis Cup produces heroes, often unlikely ones, and there is no bigger stage in tennis than the deciding fifth rubber in the Final of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas – think Mikhail Youzhny three years ago in Paris. The flip side is that it can also set a career back, destroy it even – the man Youzhny beat from two-sets-to-love down in that Final, Paul-Henri Mathieu, has never been quite the same since.
That shouldn’t happen to Mertinak, a mainstay of the Slovak doubles team this year, who was drafted into singles action for the fifth rubber in place of Karol Kucera, with Karol Beck also unable to take part. It was always going to be a tall order for the world No. 165, up against No. 22 Ancic, but Davis Cup habitually pits players from different worlds, in tennis terms, against one another and then produces the unexpected.
"Of course, I felt the pressure," said Mertinak. "I was a little bit shaky at the beginning, but then I cooled down. I tried to do my best. Unfortunately, it didn't work the right way today."
Mertinak did in fact play well above his usual level in singles, and somehow held on to his serve throughout the first set, saving four break points including two in the fisrt game, to eventually force a tiebreak.
That was the cue for Ancic to show his class, and he went up a gear, playing aggressively and grabbing the initiative. He surged to a 6-1 lead, and took the set with a crushing 1-2 combination, a deep return setting up an easy put-away volley after one hour five minutes.
"It was a very nervous start," said Ancic. " Had a lot of breakpoints which I couldn't use. But then I think I really stepped up in the tiebreak. From that moment, I think I was in control of the match."
The rest of the match was by no means a procession, even if Ancic was as he said in control for most of it. He broke in the second game of the second set, but Mertinak earned a break-back point at 1-3. Ancic saved it, then went on to seal the set with an ace, before breaking the Slovak to love at the start of the third set.
To his credit, Mertinak continued to fight bravely, and broke back for 3-all. It seemed that Ancic might be wobbling in the Davis Cup once more, but he regained his composure to break again for 5-4.
Ancic served it out confidently, and although Mertinak saved one match point, a miss-hit forehand on the second floated inches long. The Davis Cup by BNP Paribas belonged to Croatia.
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Post by Annie on Dec 5, 2005 10:31:20 GMT 3
I am glad Croatia won, they have done an excellent job this year at the tournament and I am also glad it was Bambie, who brought the victory to the team, I hope it will boost his confidence from now on and trigger some great results. Congratulations to the team!!!!!!!!!!!! However I must say that for me, the player of the weekend was without a doubt Dominik Hrbaty  Look forward to next year and hope my boys will repeat their 2002 run ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by MaRije on Dec 5, 2005 15:37:44 GMT 3
Hi Hi!  CongratulatiOns to the teaM of Croatia! ;D THey really have dOne a Great Job! I prefered slOvakia, but Anyway they has done a Great Job toO! Thanks for the Article and all the Pictures! -xXx- mArije |
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marats
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Post by marats on Dec 5, 2005 18:59:38 GMT 3
Congrats to the Croatian team !!! We'll done !
By the way ..... nice pics !!!
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 5, 2005 19:10:06 GMT 3
Congrats to Ancic and Ljubicic, well deserved, feel so sorry for Hrbaty gave it his all and will never get a better chance than this. Hope he does well next year.
Croatia play Austria first next year while Slovaks play Chile with both venues likely to be clay, so the they could be early casualties
Good luck next year against the Russians.Ha Ha
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 5, 2005 19:11:36 GMT 3
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 5, 2005 19:16:29 GMT 3
 By sealing Croatia's triumph, Ancic (left) finally steps out of the shadow of veteran team-mate Goran Ivanisevic  Croatia fans inside Bratislava's Sibamac Arena celebrate their country's first ever Davis Cup win |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 5, 2005 19:17:44 GMT 3
 Ljubicic, who has won 11 matches for his country this year, runs into the crowd to celebrate with wife Aida  Former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic gets his winners' medal despite his non-playing role in the final |
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marats
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Post by marats on Dec 5, 2005 19:24:38 GMT 3
Thanks everyone for the beautiful pics !
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Post by annie on Dec 6, 2005 8:43:54 GMT 3
yeah, great pics!! they're all so happy!!... Goran, wow...i haven't seen him for a long time....
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Post by Annie on Dec 7, 2005 0:06:06 GMT 3
Croats stage ecstatic welcome to Davis Cup winners
2005-12-05 13:05:37 GMT (Reuters)
ZAGREB, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of Croats braved drizzle on Monday to meet on the capital's main square and give an ecstatic welcome to their Davis Cup champions.
Croatian beat Slovakia 3-2 in Bratislava at the weekend to win the Davis Cup for the first time. They are only the 12th nation to win the title in more than 100 years of the competition's history.
Many jubilant fans waved red and white chequered national symbols and cheered and sang together with players gathered on a makeshift stage.
State television broadcast the event live from the moment the players arrived in Zagreb on a Croatian Airlines flight from Vienna.
Ivan Ljubicic, who spearheaded Croatia's success in 2005 with 11 wins from 12 singles matches, said he was already eyeing more Davis Cup glory.
"I'm 26 and the oldest in this Davis Cup team. We're young enough and have good prospects in future Davis Cup seasons. I hope we'll play the next finals in Croatia," Ljubicic said.
"I am proud but think we're still not quite aware of what we have achieved."
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Post by Annie on Dec 7, 2005 0:07:57 GMT 3
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