The ITF has announced the results so far after day two of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group semifinals, World Group play-offs and zone group ties taking place on 13-15 September. The World Group play-off between Belgium and Israel is being held on 12, 13 and 15 September.
Czech Republic will travel away to contest the Final on 15-17 November against the winner of the Serbia v Canada tie after securing an unassailable 3-0 lead against Argentina.
The winners of the eight World Group play-offs will qualify for the 2014 World Group, while the losers will contest their respective Zone Group I competition in 2014.
The Draw for the 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas will be held at the London offices of title sponsor BNP Paribas at 11:00 local time on Wednesday 18 September. The Draw will be live streamed on the Davis Cup website. [Note: it may not be possible to hold the draws for 2014 Europe/Africa Zone Groups I and II as there are still two ties to be played in this region.]
Live scoring for the World Group semifinals and play-offs will be available on the official Davis Cup website throughout the weekend. In addition, the English and Spanish websites will feature a live blog, reports, photographs, audio interviews, podcasts and live streaming. Follow all the action on www.daviscup.com, www.copadavis.com, www.twitter.com/daviscup, www.facebook.com/DavisCupTennis and www.daviscup.tv.
Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in sport with 130 nations taking part in 2013 in the ITF’s centenary year. The competition is 114 years old having been founded in 1900. The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Davis Cup. International sponsors are HP (Official Technology Sponsor), Rolex (Official Timekeeper) Hugo Boss (Official Men's Fashion Clothing Sponsor), Adecco (Official HR Sponsor) and NH Hoteles (Official Hotel). Wilson Sporting Goods (Official Ball) is an international partner.
For further information, please contact ITF Communications on Tel: +44 (0)20 8392 4632 or Email: communications@itftennis.com.
WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS
CANADA leads SERBIA 2-1
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (clay – indoor)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 62 60 64
Milos Raonic (CAN) d. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 57 63 36 63 108
Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil (CAN) d. Ilija Bozoljac/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) 67(6) 64 36 76(5) 108
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Milos Raonic (CAN)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
CZECH REPUBLIC defeated ARGENTINA 3-0
Venue: O2 Arena, Prague, CZE (hard – indoor)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Juan Monaco (ARG) 76(3) 63 62
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 64 46 63 64
Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Carlos Berlocq/Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 63 64 62
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS
SPAIN defeated UKRAINE 3-0
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, ESP (clay – outdoor)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) d. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 36 64 64 62
Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 60 60 64
Marc Lopez/Rafael Nadal (ESP) d. Denys Molchanov/ Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 62 67(6) 63 64
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
NETHERLANDS defeated AUSTRIA 3-0
Venue: MartiniPlaza, Groningen, NED (clay – indoor)
Robin Haase (NED) d. Oliver Marach (AUT) 64 63 61
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) d. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 57 75 57 64 61
Robin Haase/Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) d. Julian Knowle/Oliver Marach (AUT) 46 63 64 75
Robin Haase (NED) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Thiemo de Bakker (NED) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
GREAT BRITAIN leads CROATIA 2-1
Venue: Stadion Stella Maris, Umag, CRO (clay – outdoor)
Andy Murray (GBR) d. Borna Coric (CRO) 63 60 63
Ivan Dodig (CRO) d. Daniel Evans (GBR) 63 62 63
Colin Fleming/Andy Murray (GBR) d. Ivan Dodig/Mate Pavic (CRO) 63 62 67(6) 61
Ivan Dodig (CRO) v Andy Murray (GBR)
Borna Coric (CRO) v Daniel Evans (GBR)
SWITZERLAND defeated ECUADOR 3-0
Venue: Patinoire du Littoral, Neuchatel, SUI (hard – indoor)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Emilio Gomez (ECU) 64 63 63
Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) d. Julio-Cesar Campozano (ECU) 36 61 63 76(7)
Michael Lammer/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) d. Emilio Gomez/Roberto Quiroz (ECU) 63 64 36 67(7) 64
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v Julio-Cesar Campozano (ECU)
Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) v Emilio Gomez (ECU)
GERMANY leads BRAZIL 2-1
Venue: Ratiopharm Arena, Ulm/Neu Ulm, GER (hard – indoor)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) d. Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) 63 75 64
Florian Mayer (GER) d. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 64 61 62
Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA) d. Daniel Brands/Martin Emmrich (GER) 63 64 64
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA)
AUSTRALIA leads POLAND 2-1
Venue: Torwar Hall, Warsaw, POL (clay – indoor)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d. Lukasz Kubot (POL) 61 63 62
Bernard Tomic (AUS) d. Michal Przysiezny (POL) 75 76(1) 64
Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL) d. Chris Guccione/Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 57 64 62 67(5) 64
Lukasz Kubot (POL) v Bernard Tomic (AUS)
Michal Przysiezny (POL) v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
ISRAEL leads BELGIUM 2-1
Venue: Lotto Arena, Antwerp, BEL (clay – indoor)
Steve Darcis (BEL) d. Dudi Sela (ISR) 61 62 62
Amir Weintraub (ISR) d. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) 63 26 67(2) 76(4) 64
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) d. Steve Darcis/Olivier Rochus (BEL) 63 57 16 75 63
Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) v Dudi Sela (ISR)
Steve Darcis (BEL) v Amir Weintraub (ISR)
COLOMBIA leads JAPAN 2-1
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JPN (hard – outdoor)
Kei Nishikori (JPN) d. Alejandro Falla (COL) 63 64 64
Santiago Giraldo (COL) d. Go Soeda (JPN) 64 36 75 36 61
Juan-Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah (COL) d. Tatsuma Ito/Yuichi Sugita (JPN) 61 62 61
Kei Nishikori (JPN) v Santiago Giraldo (COL)
Go Soeda (JPN) v Alejandro Falla (COL)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I – SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC defeated CHILE 3-0
Venue: Centro Nacional de Tenis Parque del Este, Santo Domingo Este, DOM (hard – outdoor)
Jose Hernandez (DOM) d. Paul Capdeville (CHI) 64 76(3) 75
Victor Estrella (DOM) d. Christian Garin (CHI) 75 62 64
Victor Estrella/Jose Hernandez (DOM) d. Jorge Aguilar/ Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 76(10) 64 64
Victor Estrella (DOM) v Paul Capdeville (CHI)
Jose Hernandez (DOM) v Christian Garin (CHI)
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I – SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
CHINESE TAIPEI defeated INDONESIA 3-0
Venue: Kaohsiung Yangming Tennis Courts, Kaohsiung City, TPE (hard – outdoor)
Huang Liang-Chi (TPE) d. Wisnu Adi Nugroho (INA) 60 61 63
Chen Ti (TPE) d. Christopher Rungkat (INA) 62 63 61
Lee Hsin-Han/Peng Hsien-Yin (TPE) d. Elbert Sie/David Agung Susanto (INA) 64 62 63
Huang Liang-Chi (TPE) v Christopher Rungkat (INA)
Chen Ti (TPE) v Wisnu Adi Nugroho (INA)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I – FIRST ROUND PLAY-OFF
SLOVENIA defeated SOUTH AFRICA 3-0
Venue: Park Tivoli, Ljubljana, SLO (clay – outdoor)
Blaz Rola (SLO) d. Rik de Voest (RSA) 61 64 64
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) d. Ruan Roelofse (RSA) 61 63 64
Blaz Kavcic/Blaz Rola (SLO) d. Raven Klaasen/Nikala Scholtz (RSA) 75 61 76(4)
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) v Rik de Voest (RSA)
Blaz Rola (SLO) v Ruan Roelofse (RSA)
SLOVAK REPUBLIC leads SWEDEN 2-1
Venue: Aegon Arena, Bratislava, SVK (hard – indoor)
Andrej Martin (SVK) d. Isak Arvidsson (SWE) 62 63 64
Lukas Lacko (SVK) d. Markus Eriksson (SWE) 62 63 64
Johan Brunstrom/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) d. Lukas Lacko/Filip Polasek (SVK) 64 75 64
Martin Klizan (SVK) v Markus Eriksson (SWE)
Lukas Lacko (SVK) v Isak Arvidsson (SWE)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II – THIRD ROUND
EL SALVADOR leads VENEZUELA 1-0
Venue: Federacion Salvadorena de Tenis, Ciudad Merliot, ESA (hard – outdoor)
Rafael Arevalo (ESA) d. David Souto (VEN) 57 63 76(3) 61
Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) v Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)
Marcelo Arevalo/Rafael Arevalo (ESA) v Luis David Martinez/Roberto Maytin (VEN)
Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) v David Souto (VEN)
Rafael Arevalo (ESA) v Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II – THIRD ROUND
NEW ZEALAND leads PHILIPPINES 2-1
Venue: Plantation Bay Resort & Spa, Lapu-Lapu City, PHI (clay – outdoor)
Michael Venus (NZL) d. Ruben Gonzales (PHI) 46 63 46 76(4) 60
Jose Statham (NZL) v Johnny Arcilla (PHI) 64 62 64
Francis Casey Alcantara/Treat Huey (PHI) d. Marcus Daniell/Artem Sitak (NZL) 64 63 64
Ruben Gonzales (PHI) v Jose Statham (NZL)
Johnny Arcilla (PHI) v Michael Venus (NZL)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II – THIRD ROUND
LATVIA leads FINLAND 2-1
Venue: Arena Riga, Riga, LAT (hard – indoor)
Micke Kontinen (FIN) d. Mikelis Libietis (LAT) 64 46 63 64
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) d. Herkko Pollanen (FIN) 62 64 61
Ernests Gulbis/Mikelis Libietis (LAT) d. Henri Kontinen/Micke Kontinen (FIN) 62 76(2) 63
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) v Micke Kontinen (FIN)
Mikelis Libietis (LAT) v Herkko Pollanen (FIN)
PORTUGAL leads MOLDOVA 2-1
Venue: Manejul de Atletica Usoara, Chisinau, MDA (hard – indoor)
Radu Albot (MDA) d. Gastao Elias (POR) 63 26 64 64
Joao Sousa (POR) d. Maxim Dubarenco (MDA) 67(4) 76(4) 61 63
Gastao Elias/Joao Sousa (POR) d. Roman Borvanov/Andrei Ciumac (MDA) 63 64 63
Radu Albot (MDA) v Joao Sousa (POR)
Maxim Dubarenco (MDA) v Gastao Elias (POR)
_________________________
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
* Czechs back in Davis Cup final
* Canada up 2-1 on Serbia -- but Pospisil has to play singles after a four hour doubles match
* Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland clinch returns to World Group
TODAY'S MEN'S NEWS
Davis Cup
It was pretty clear from the start that, if Argentina had any hope against the Czech Republic, they would need to do something in the singles. They just don't have the doubles chops. Already down 2-0, they had to run out Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos to face Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek. The result wasn't particularly pretty. 6-3 6-4 6-2, and the Czechs were back in the final. If Berdych and Stepanek can both keep playing, it seems like they could be back there many more times....
The tie between Serbia and Canada isn't settled yet, but the last thing Canada needed (apart from going down 2-1) was for Vasek Pospisil to have to play a long doubles match. Unfortunately, that's what they got. It went overtime in the fifth set, and lasted more than four hours. Pospisil and Daniel Nestor edged Nestor's old partner Nenad Zimonjic and Ilja Bozoljac 6-7 6-4 3-6 7-6 10-8. It's going to be tough for Pospisil to beat Janko Tipsarevic after that. Which means that Milos Raonic may have to beat Novak Djokovic if Canada is to reach the final. Still, that tie is definitely winning the drama award.
The early going in the playoffs seemed to be all about teams which appeared to be in trouble trying to dig themselves out. The complexion of the Brazil/Columbia tie, for instance, seems to be changing. The Japanese pulled Kei Nishikori out of the doubles, leaving it to Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita. A pretty weak pairing to go against Columbia's rather strong team of Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. And, indeed, the Columbians won 6-1 6-2 6-1. So the visitors now lead 2-1. The fourth match features Nishikori against Santiago Giraldo, and that looks pretty open-and-shut. But then it comes down to Go Soeda against Alejandro Falla. It wasn't supposed to come to that. One suspects the Columbians will feel more confident in that rubber than the Japanese.
Brazil put itself on the board as Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo took care of Germany's Martin Emmrich and Daniel Brands 6-3 6-4 6-4. Still, Germany leads 2-1 and has the clear advantage in both reverse singles matches.
Bucking that trend was the tie between Great Britain and Croatia. The British now seem sure to advance, because they're up 2-1 with Andy Murray ready to play reverse singles. Murray and Colin Fleming beat Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-1.
Switzerland had a surprisingly hard time finishing off Ecuador. Stanislas Wawrinka was supposed to play with Marco Chiudinelli, but the Swiss put in Michael Lammer for Chiudinelli at the last moment. And it nearly cost them against Emilio Gomez and Roberto Quiroz. But the Swiss took the rubber 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-7 6-4. That gives them a 3-0 clinch -- and means that Wawrinka is presumably done for the weekend.
Spain made a fascinating decision to try to end the tie fast: They put in Rafael Nadal to play doubles with Marc Lopez. Not an unreasonable decision, given that they've won Indian Wells together. And the Ukrainians could answer only with Molchanov/Stakhovsky. It was another match that went longer than it should have, but the Spaniards clinched 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4.
The Dutch and Austrians also did some lineup-changing. The Austrians, rather than put more weight on Jurgen Melzer's shoulders, went with their ancient doubles specialists, Oliver Marach and Julian Knowle. The Dutch of course went with their doubles specialist, Jean-Julien Rojer -- but they teamed him with their top singles player, Robin Haase, to try to finish things off. It worked. Haase and Rojer beat the Austrian pickup team 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-5. You have to wonder, from that scoreline, if the decision to push Marach into singles didn't affect things -- he may not have had much left.
The Australians, up 2-0 on the Poles, decided they didn't need, or didn't want to use up, Lleyton Hewitt; they had their youngster Nick Kyrgios team up with Chris Guccione to take on Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski. It came surprisingly close to working, but not quite; Fyrstenberg/Matkowski won 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-4, and the Poles are still alive. If on life support.
TODAY'S FEATURE
Men's Look Forward: Metz, St. Petersburg
The players always find it hard to play Davis Cup. But, on the evidence, they find it even harder to play the week after Davis Cup. Especially when the events are 250 pointers....
St. Petersburg ended up with a draw in which hardly anyone except the seeds is Top Fifty, and there are no Top Ten players at all. Fabio Fognini is the #1 seed, with Mikhail Youzhny #2. Janko Tipsarevic, who will be tired from Davis Cup, is #3, with Dmitry Tursunov #4. #5 Fernando Verdasco, #6 Ernests Gulbis, #7 Lukas Rosol, and #8 Denis Istomin round out the seeds. There are no obvious unseeded threats, although Tursunov has to open against Marcos Baghdatis.
Metz, being in France, is somewhat stronger -- featuring among other things the return of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But he is the only Top Ten player. And the only other Top Twenty player is #2 seed Gilles Simon, in on a wildcard. Andreas Seppi is #3, Philipp Kohlschreiber #4 (and the top player to have been in Davis Cup). Benoit Paire is #5, and Sam Querrey will try to get back into form as the #6 seed. Jeremy Chardy is #7, meaning that we have four French seeds; Florian Mayer is #8. There are no really strong unseeded players -- although the first round contest between Querrey and Ivo Karlovic will obviously feature a lot of aces....
The Rankings
It's a good thing that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is back, because he's defending Metz champion. Andreas Seppi was the finalist, with Nikolay Davydenko and Gael Monfils reaching the semifinal. Martin Klizan -- who isn't in the draw this year -- won St. Petersburg, over Fabio Fognini; Mikhail Youzhny and Daniel Gimeno-Traver were semifinalists. And Klizan had already fallen to #65 last week; he appears bound out of the Top Hundred. Seppi might fall one spot; Fognini perhaps two or three. Gimeno-Traver may end up below #60.
In the Top Ten... don't expect movement. Tsonga, who has some nineteenth event points, looks like he will stay #8, although his lead over Richard Gasquet for the title of "#1 Frenchman" is getting very thin. We might see Simon hit the Top Fifteen. Fognini theoretically has a chance, too, but he would need a title.
THIS WEEK IN TENNIS
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Davis Cup
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Metz (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
St. Petersburg (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Martin Klizan
STATS AND FACTS
RANKINGS
DRAWS
Metz -- Week of September 15
1 Tsonga
--bye
Delbonis
Roger-Vasselin
Kamke
Qualifier
Qualifier
7 Chardy
4 Kohlschreiber
--bye
Berlocq
Vesely
Haider-Maurer
Lacko
Qualifier
8 F Mayer
5 Paire
Becker
Qualifier
Olivetti (WC)
Mahut
L Mayer
--bye
3 Seppi
6 Querrey
Karlovic
Sijsling
Mathieu (WC)
de Schepper
Huta Galung
--bye
2 Simon (WC)
St. Petersburg -- Week of September 15
1 Fognini
Qualifier
Przysiezny
Ramos
Hanescu
Khachanov (WC)
Berankis
7 Rosol
3 Tipsarevic
Bautista Agut
Mannarino
Donskoy
Zopp (PR)
Gimeno-Traver
Elgin (WC)
6 Gulbis
5 Verdasco
Stakhovsky
Lorenzi
Sousa
Zeballos
Qualifier
Baghdatis
4 Tursunov
8 Istomin
Qualifier
Struff
Golubev
Qualifier
Garcia-Lopez
Karatsev (WC)
2 Youzhny
SCORES
Davis Cup
World Group Semifinal
Serbia hosts Canada (Indoor Clay)
Friday: Tied 1-1
Novak Djokovic def. Vasek Pospisil 6-2 6-0 6-4
Milos Raonic def. Janko Tipsarevic 5-7 6-3 3-6 6-3 10-8
Saturday: Canada leads 2-1
Nestor/Pospisil def. Bozoljac/Zimonjic 6-7(6-8) 6-4 3-6 7-6(7-5) 10-8
Czech Republic hosts Argentina (Indoor Hard)
Friday: Czech Republic leads 2-0
Radek Stepanek def. Juan Monaco 7-6(7-3) 6-3 6-2
Tomas Berdych def. Leonardo Mayer 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4
Saturday: Czech Republic clinches 3-0
Berdych/Stepanek def. Berlocq/Zeballos 6-3 6-4 6-2
World Group Playoff
Spain defeats Ukraine 3-0
Netherlands defeats Austria 3-0
Great Britain leads Croatia 2-1
Switzerland defeats Ecuador 3-0
Germany leads Brazil 2-1
Australia leads Poland 2-1
Israel leads Belgium 2-1
Columbia leads Japan 2-1