Croatia, Slovakia in Davis Cup history

PARIS – Croatia and Slovakia, two of Europe’s younger nations, made history on Sunday when they reached the Davis Cup final for the first time.

Croatia, which declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and Slovakia, which split from Czechoslovakia in 1993, stunned favourites Russia and Argentina respectively in two dramatic semi-finals. Ivan Ljubicic’s 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory over Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko earned Croatia their winning lead in Split while, in Bratislava, Dominik Hrbaty defeated Guillermo Coria 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-3 to take Slovakia through.The final will be held in Slovakia from December 2-4.Ljubicic was the hero for Croatia throughout, having beaten Mikhail Youzhny on Friday after Russia took the lead when Davydenko beat Mario Ancic.Ljubicic then teamed up with Ancic as Croatia won Saturday’s doubles.Slovakia started the day 2-1 ahead of Argentina.Karol Beck had beaten Coria 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday before David Nalbandian had seen off Hrbaty 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.Beck and Michal Mertinak then defeated Nalbandian and Puerta 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) in the doubles on Saturday.Slovakia made the most of their choice of hard courts at the Sibamac Arena National Tennis Centre to nullify the clay court prowess of the South Americans and Hrbaty, the world number 19, made a mockery of Coria’s ranking of eight.It was a miserable weekend for Coria, the 2004 French Open runner-up, after he had lost his opening singles on Friday to the impressive Beck, the world 48.While newboys Croatia and Slovakia were celebrating, the United States, Davis Cup winners on 31 occasions, and Spain, the deposed champions, breathed a sigh of relief after preserving their places in the elite 16-nation World Group for 2006.Andy Roddick clinched a marathon five-set win to beat Olivier Rochus in Louvain to give the United States victory in their play-off over Belgium.Roddick, the world number three, beat 31st-ranked Rochus 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 in four hours and 32 minutes in a tense clay court encounter.On Friday, Rochus had beaten James Blake 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 before Roddick levelled the tie beating Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.US Open doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan then clinched the doubles on Saturday seeing off Olivier Rochus and Christophe Vliegen 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-3.In Naples, Spain won their two singles rubbers to claim a 3-2 win over Italy and retain their place in the World Group.French Open champion Rafael Nadal defeated Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 before Juan Carlos Ferrero crushed Daniel Bracciali 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.Switzerland completed a 5-0 whitewash against Great Britain in Geneva with two wins in the dead rubbers.George Bastl dismantled David Sherwood 6-3, 6-0 before Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Alan Mackin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).Austria saw off Ecuador 4-1 in Vienna while, in Liberec, Tommy Haas beat defeated Tomas Zib 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 in the decisive fifth rubber to earn Germany a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic.Tomas Berdych had earlier pulled the Czechs level beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.The result means the Czech Republic lost their status as the only country to have been in the World Group since its inception in 1981.Chile meanwhile wrapped up their tie with Pakistan in Santiago 5-0, while Belarus beat Canada 3-2 in Toronto.- Nampa-AFPIvan Ljubicic’s 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory over Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko earned Croatia their winning lead in Split while, in Bratislava, Dominik Hrbaty defeated Guillermo Coria 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-3 to take Slovakia through.The final will be held in Slovakia from December 2-4.Ljubicic was the hero for Croatia throughout, having beaten Mikhail Youzhny on Friday after Russia took the lead when Davydenko beat Mario Ancic.Ljubicic then teamed up with Ancic as Croatia won Saturday’s doubles.Slovakia started the day 2-1 ahead of Argentina.Karol Beck had beaten Coria 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday before David Nalbandian had seen off Hrbaty 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.Beck and Michal Mertinak then defeated Nalbandian and Puerta 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) in the doubles on Saturday.Slovakia made the most of their choice of hard courts at the Sibamac Arena National Tennis Centre to nullify the clay court prowess of the South Americans and Hrbaty, the world number 19, made a mockery of Coria’s ranking of eight.It was a miserable weekend for Coria, the 2004 French Open runner-up, after he had lost his opening singles on Friday to the impressive Beck, the world 48.While newboys Croatia and Slovakia were celebrating, the United States, Davis Cup winners on 31 occasions, and Spain, the deposed champions, breathed a sigh of relief after preserving their places in the elite 16-nation World Group for 2006.Andy Roddick clinched a marathon five-set win to beat Olivier Rochus in Louvain to give the United States victory in their play-off over Belgium.Roddick, the world number three, beat 31st-ranked Rochus 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 in four hours and 32 minutes in a tense clay court encounter.On Friday, Rochus had beaten James Blake 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 before Roddick levelled the tie beating Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.US Open doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan then clinched the doubles on Saturday seeing off Olivier Rochus and Christophe Vliegen 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-3.In Naples, Spain won their two singles rubbers to claim a 3-2 win over Italy and retain their place in the World Group.French Open champion Rafael Nadal defeated Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 before Juan Carlos Ferrero crushed Daniel Bracciali 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.Switzerland completed a 5-0 whitewash against Great Britain in Geneva with two wins in the dead rubbers.George Bastl dismantled David Sherwood 6-3, 6-0 before Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Alan Mackin 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).Austria saw off Ecuador 4-1 in Vienna while, in Liberec, Tommy Haas beat defeated Tomas Zib 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 in the decisive fifth rubber to earn Germany a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic.Tomas Berdych had earlier pulled the Czechs level beating Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.The result means the Czech Republic lost their status as the only country to have been in the World Group since its inception in 1981.Chile meanwhile wrapped up their tie with Pakistan in Santiago 5-0, while Belarus beat Canada 3-2 in Toronto.- Nampa-AFP

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