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Post by SAFINNO1 on Sept 16, 2008 16:14:28 GMT 3
Andreev confident of Russia success
5 hours ago
Igor Andreev believes Russia are capable of defeating Argentina in the Davis Cup semi-finals this weekend.
The world number 19 is expected to be one of the two singles players in Shamil Tarpischev's team to play the South Americans at the Estadio Parque Roca in Buenos Aires and Andreev is confident the team is good enough to claim victory.
"It will be extremely tough because Argentina have great players and their fans will be behind them," he said. "However, we have a good team too and we'll surely battle until the end. We feel we can win."
He added: "I played (Juan Martin) Del Potro once and lost this year in Munich. I have not played (David) Nalbandian. Del Potro is playing in great form and he has recently won four tournaments in a row, so he has confidence ahead of the tie.
"David is not enjoying his best form but he is a very dangerous player anyway. He can be back to his best at any moment."
Andreev believes the supporters will be act as an extra player for Argentina.
"The crowd will be important," he added. "The surface is not an advantage for them, but their people are."
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Post by Annie on Sept 16, 2008 18:18:06 GMT 3
When was it the last time Argentina won DC? Never actually  Well I can't say I am surprised. The guy has given this team his all throughout the years of sheer success and brilliance, all with his direct contribution. I suppose it is a wise idea to actually try and do something about his personal rankings and situation. The best of luck to my boys  |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Sept 16, 2008 18:34:55 GMT 3
When was it the last time Argentina won DC? Never actually Well I can't say I am surprised. The guy has given this team his all throughout the years of sheer success and brilliance, all with his direct contribution. I suppose it is a wise idea to actually try and do something about his personal rankings and situation. The best of luck to my boys I think that was the key reason with Shamil Tarpischev - he knows Marat has always contributed to DC this year and has been burdened with the heavy work load during DC tie many a time and its his time off - this week its one of the other guys turn to pull the team through and of course Marat will be back! Argentine, Russian teams train for Davis Cup BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Argentine and Russian teams trained on Monday in the central stadium of Roca Park in the city of Buenos Aires, where on Friday they will open the semifinals of the Davis Cup. Argentine team formed by David Nalbandian (7th of the world rankings), Juan Martin Del Potro (13th), Agustin Calleri (51st) and Guillermo Canas (55th), trained Monday morning under the supervision of their coaches and the captain Alberto Mancini. The players complained about the conditions of the court. At Monday midday arrived Russians Igor Andreev (19th) and Dmitry Tursunov (26th) but Nicolay Davydenko (6th) did not attend the training. Argentina, ready to meet Russia On Tuesday, the Argentine players will practice at Parque Roca at noon; then, they will attend a press conference. As for Russia, players Nikolay Davydenko, Igor Andreev, Dmitry Tursunov and Igor Kunistsyn will practice in the first shift, and will attend a press conference on Wednesday. The order of play will be determined on Thursday morning, Argentine Tennis Association announced to news agency Telam. |
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Post by tinuviel on Sept 16, 2008 18:43:11 GMT 3
I agree. I think Tarpishev and marat have a lot of mutual respect for each other. It could make it hard for the others and it gives Tarpishev less choice - but I still believe they can do it. Hope Marat does well in the tournament to get his points up - it would be great if he could at least finish the year in the twenties (if not higher). Hopefully he will also perform well in the two remaining masters events and in the Russian tourneys. Good luck to Team Russia!! ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by jenhatter06 on Sept 17, 2008 2:16:02 GMT 3
*sigh* as if my boys didn't have a shot in hell already, we get dealt another blow: Bob Bryan out with a shoulder injury  (get well soon ) ... Mardy Fish is listed as the replacement (bless his heart for always being there, even if it's just as a practice partner and cheering squad ) ... but Davis Cup without the (basically) guaranteed doubles point?  (C'mon boys - I dare you to surprise me ...) www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=14643(the bloody news even appeared on CNN's ticker on the bottom of the TV screen - they NEVER have tennis news  ) |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Sept 17, 2008 18:07:09 GMT 3
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Post by Natasha on Sept 17, 2008 22:18:30 GMT 3
i miss marat
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Post by justsafin on Sept 18, 2008 3:55:17 GMT 3
Murray shrugs off Davis Cup jibes news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7621716.stm Page last updated at 18:24 GMT, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 19:24 Andy Murray has dismissed Austrian claims he may struggle when they take on Britain in a crucial Davis Cup clash which starts at Wimbledon on Friday. Murray returns after his run to the US Open final when the teams meet to decide who stays in the World Group. Austrian Jurgen Melzer claimed the Scot might find it hard to re-adjust after becoming the first British player to reach a grand slam final in 11 years. But Murray, 21, said: "I'm confident I'll be able to handle the pressure." With Murray back in the Great Britain team after he missed the defeat in Argentina in February, coach John Lloyd will be optimistic of victory. The British side consists of world number four Murray, his brother Jamie, a doubles specialist, Alex Bogdanovic and Ross Hutchins. Lloyd has to decide whether to play Andy Murray in the doubles with his brother on Saturday, or rest him ahead of the potentially crucial second singles matches on Sunday. Austrian number one Melzer has suggested the pressure is on Murray after becoming the first British player to reach a grand slam final in 11 years and losing in the final to Roger Federer. "Andy isn't in an easy position because the whole country expects him to win the Davis Cup by himself," Melzer said. "After playing such a great grand slam I imagine it would be tough to get your head clear and focus on the next one. It's a big one. "Britain want to be in the World Group so there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Let's see how he copes with that on the weekend." But Murray is confident there will be no lingering after-affects from his run through to the Flushing Meadows title match, which included a semi-final defeat of world number one Rafael Nadal. "I don't think there's a lot of pressure on me. Jurgen doesn't have a particularly good Davis Cup record," said the 21-year-old. Murray and Melzer met in an epic third-round clash at the US Open which saw the Scot survive two match points to triumph in five sets. The British team will be happy to be playing in the familiar surroundings of Wimbledon's Court Number One, and on the fast grass courts that suited both Murray brothers in their impressive form at SW19 this year. Andy reached the singles quarter-finals, where he lost to eventual winner Nadal, while Jamie made the semi-finals of the mixed doubles after winning the event in 2007. Bogdanovic, ranked 162, would not claim to be in the same bracket as the Murrays at the moment but won a Challenger tournament in Canada the week after Wimbledon. Hutchins, son of Paul, the head of men's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association, made his Davis Cup debut in the 4-1 defeat to Argentina. But the Austrians will be no pushover. Jurgen Melzer, ranked 41, took a two sets to love lead over Murray before losing at the US Open and was a quarter-finalist at the Olympics. Julian Knowle is one of the world's top doubles experts and has won 11 titles, including the US Open in 2007. Alexander Peya, ranked 164 and Martin Fischer, 231 in the world, are less well known. But with the strength of the lesser players a key factor in Davis Cup tennis, the captain's tactics in choosing who plays who could be the difference between winning and losing. |
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Post by jenhatter06 on Sept 18, 2008 15:26:20 GMT 3
Draw set for US v Spain ...
R1 - R.NADAL (ESP) v S.QUERREY (USA) - ya know, somehow I just knew that was going to happen ... *gulp* could it get any worse for your first Davis Cup match ever?? yeesh
R2 - D.FERRER (ESP) v A.RODDICK (USA)
R3 - F.LOPEZ / F.VERDASCO (ESP) v M.BRYAN / M.FISH (USA)
R4 - R.NADAL (ESP) v A.RODDICK (USA)
R5 - D.FERRER (ESP) v S.QUERREY (USA)
... and the venue we're playing in - it's a BULLRING ... fitting *shakes head* ... but hey, my boys can surprise me, by all means ;D
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Post by Dina on Sept 18, 2008 18:20:35 GMT 3
Friday
David Nalbandian (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Saturday
Agustin Calleri/Guillermo Canas (ARG) v Igor Kunitsyn/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Sunday
David Nalbandian (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
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Post by justsafin on Sept 18, 2008 19:39:07 GMT 3
Friday David Nalbandian (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) Saturday Agustin Calleri/Guillermo Canas (ARG) v Igor Kunitsyn/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) Sunday David Nalbandian (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS) Tough lineup for Argentina. DAVAI Russian boys!! |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Sept 18, 2008 19:40:23 GMT 3
Semifinal fever in Buenos Aires One of the most eagerly awaited Davis Cup ties of recent years will get going on Friday amid a sea of passionate Argentinian supporters, when David Nalbandián and Igor Andreev begin a contest that’s so close few here in Buenos Aires dare to predict the outcome. With just about everyone accepting that all five rubbers are 50:50 contests, much will depend on who handles the extraordinary conditions better. Not only will there be 14,097 screaming local supporters in the Estadio Parque Roca, but the forecast is for ‘tiempo inestable’, best translated as ‘unsteady weather’, with the likelihood of showers. It’s therefore possible that playing conditions could be much heavier at the end of matches than at the start. The five 50:50 rubbers are nominated as Friday David Nalbandian (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) Saturday Agustin Calleri/Guillermo Canas (ARG) v Igor Kunitsyn/Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) Sunday David Nalbandian (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS) With all four singles players in the top 20 and boasting 53 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas singles rubbers between them, there will be no shortage of experience. But this will be more about handling conditions than mere tennis, as Argentina anticipates the chance of a first-ever home final. Whichever team wins this tie will host the final, irrespective of who wins the other semi in Madrid. Soccer-mad country It’s hard to overemphasise the importance of this tie in Argentinian life. Nalbandián may have been a Wimbledon finalist and reached the semifinals of all for Grand Slam tournaments, but he and his team-mates know that winning the Davis Cup is the one honour that would really mean something to their compatriots. And in this soccer-mad country, the tie is more likely to resemble a life-and-death football match than a tennis event. Leading the crowd will be Diego Maradona. There is a temptation to avoid stressing the football legend’s involvement, as it can seem like scene-stealing. Yet despite the disgrace of two bans for doping offences, Maradona is still a national icon here. In the souvenir shops, replicas of the No. 10 shirt he wore for both Boca Juniors and the Argentina national team are more widely available than the ponchos, alpaca sweaters and leatherware more associated with indigenous Argentinian culture. His presence at home Davis Cup by BNP Paribas ties therefore gives the competition an added authenticity among Argentina’s sporting community that it might not otherwise have. Possible changes Both captains have admitted the possibility of changing their doubles team, but that will depend on Friday’s results. Argentina’s Alberto Mancini is working closely with his Davis Cup team-mate from 20 years ago, Martin Jaite, who is now Nalbandián’s coach. Their feeling is that the world No. 7, who has had a disappointing year, will not last three days unless his matches are quick. Nalbandián puts his unbeaten 15-match home record on the line against Andreev, knowing that a straight sets win might mean he dislodges the 32-year-old Calleri from the doubles. Russia's captain Shamil Tarpischev has nominated a specialist doubles team of Tursunov and Kunitsyn, who have played five tournaments together this year and were semifinalists at the French Open. But Tarpischev refused to rule out the possibility of putting in the more experienced Davis Cup pairing of Andreev and Davydenko if Friday’s results make it a viable option. In the home of the tango dance, the players were treated to a display by the world tango champions at Wednesday night’s official dinner. It remains to be seen who’ll be dancing the tango in Buenos Aires by Sunday night.         |
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Post by jenhatter06 on Sept 18, 2008 19:45:17 GMT 3
Friday David Nalbandian (ARG) v Igor Andreev (RUS) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) v Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) should definitely be some fun and fireworks tomorrow - whew  |
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Post by lau on Sept 19, 2008 0:14:46 GMT 3
Let the better one win  And I´m out of this thread till next Monday LOL |
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Post by leathernlace90210 on Sept 19, 2008 15:37:32 GMT 3
Nice article... |
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(get well soon 
)
