MALAGA, Spain, 22 September 2003 — Spain and Australia will meet in the Davis Cup final for the second time in four years as both scored 3-2 semifinal victories yesterday.
The Spanish hero was Carlos Moya who kept his cool against Gaston Gaudio in the deciding match against Argentina to win in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 following a shock defeat for World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
For Australia, Lleyton Hewitt was the man that mattered coming back from the dead to defeat Wimbledon champion Roger Federer 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-1.
Australia, who lost in Barcelona in 2000, will start the Nov. 28-30 final as favorites as they are expected to elect to play on Melbourne grasscourts, the least favorite surface for the Spanish claycourt specialists. Moya put Spain through with his second singles victory of the match.
It came as a great relief to a packed home crowd who had been stunned to see Ferrero lose in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 to journeyman Agustin Calleri in the first of the reverse singles to level the semi at 2-2.
Spain will play in their fourth Davis Cup final and each time it has been against Australia. The Spaniards won in 2000, but lost in 1965 and 1967.
A never-say-die Hewitt clawed back from two sets and 3-5 down against Federer to render the final reverse singles meaningless. Switzerland’s Michel Kratochvil won the dead final singles rubber when Todd Woodbridge, a replacement for Mark Philippoussis, retired after the Swiss player won the opening set 6-4. Australia won the tie 3-2.
Federer dazzled Hewitt in the opening two and a half sets, but his torrid schedule of three matches in as many days began to tell and the leg-weary former Wimbledon and US Open champion embarked on a courageous fightback to pull back from the brink.
Hewitt’s exhilarating victory halted Federer’s unbeaten run of 10 singles matches in Davis Cup and 31 winning sets and ended Switzerland’s dream of a first-ever Cup title after reaching the final against the United States in 1992.
In Sundern, German sport experienced a new low when the three-time Davis Cup winners dropped out of the top tier of tennis for the first time in 20 years after a 3-2 defeat by unfancied Belarus.
Rainer Schuttler, Germany’s best tennis player and ranked in the world top 10, lost the decisive match 3-6, 5-7, 3-6 against Max Mirnyi to confirm Germany’s relegation from the top 16 teams in world tennis.
In Bratislava, Andy Roddick’s victory gave the United States a 3-1 winning lead over Slovakia to ensure they play in the Davis Cup World Group next year. The recently crowned US Open champion and world No. 2 easily swept aside replacement Karol Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in 1hr 44min.
Slovakia’s captain Miloslav Mecir decided to field Beck against Roddick instead of Karol Kucera who, Mecir claimed, was suffering from fatigue after falling to Mardy Fish on Friday.
In Bangkok, Jiri Novak beat a low-key Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to secure the Czech Republic’s place in the elite 16-team World Group of the Davis Cup next year.
Following his polished performance the Czech launched an attack on Thai officials who, he claimed, had been unfairly supporting his opponent. One incident which incensed the Czech was when Paradorn was awarded a point to lead 3-2 in the third set after the ball had been called out. In the remaining singles rubber, Tomas Berdych overcame Danai Udomchoke 7-6, 6-3 to complete the best-of-five match victory 4-1.
In Vienna, Austria defeated Belgium in their Davis Cup World Group relegation match. Stefan Koubek gave the Austrians an unassailable 3-1 lead in the first of the reverse singles when he defeated Olivier Rochus 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Austria remain in the top 16-strong World Group while Belgium are relegated to Europe-Africa zonal play.
In Zwolle, Netherlands beat India 5-0 in their World Group playoff. First Sjeng Schalken defeated Harsh Mankad 6-3, 6-1 and then Raemon Sluiter beat Prakash Amritraj 6-1, 6-3.
In Casablanca, Morocco, Tim Henman produced one of his best performances of the year to defeat Morocco’s Younes El Aynaoui 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in a Davis Cup World Group relegation match leveling the tie at 2-2. The final game of the tie between Hicham Arazi and Greg Rusedski will decide who stays in the 16-strong elite group.
Dementieva Downs Rubin to Win
WTA Tournament in Shanghai
Top seed Elena Dementieva of Russia defeated second seed Chanda Rubin of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) yesterday to win the $585,000 WTA Shanghai Open.
The win gave the 22-year-old Moscow native her second-straight WTA singles title in a week and her third of the 2003 season, her powerful and consistent forehand proving no match for her opponent.
Victory did not come easily for Dementieva, who a week ago thrashed Rubin in Bali, Indonesia 6-2, 6-1, and had to fend off a stiff challenge in the second set by the 27-year-old. “It was kind of difficult today, we’re both a little tired and also because when you win easily as I did against her in Bali, it can be really dangerous,” Dementieva said.
