The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Croatia makes strong start

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 12, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Croatia makes strong start

LOS ANGELES: The Croatian team launched its defence of the Davis Cup crown by taking a 2-0 lead over Austria on Friday with Ivan Ljubicic showing no sign of strain in his new role as playing captain.

He rounded off a solid day in Graz with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Stefan Koubek in the best-of-five match tie in the elite World Group of the global nations tournament.

His brisk victory followed compatriot Mario Ancic's hard-fought 6-7(2), 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jurgen Melzer, which Ljubicic said was harder on him than his own match.

"It was a strange feeling, for Mario and me," said the 26-year-old, who was thrust into the captaincy after Nikola Pilic's resignation last month. "When I finally left to prepare for the match against Koubek, Mario was a break up in the fifth. I told him, `Just finish this off. If I have something smart to say, I'll be back.' However, I had no reason to come back," he remarked.

Austrian captain Thomas Muster was disappointed, but not defeatist.

The results:

At Minsk: Belarus 2, Spain 0: Vladimir Voltchkov (Blr) bt David Ferrer (Esp) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3;

Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt Tommy Robredo (Esp) 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3.

At Geneva: Switzerland 1, Australia 1: Stanislas Wawrinka (Sui) bt Chris Guccione (Aus) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6); Peter Luczak (Aus) bt Michael Lammer (Sui) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.

At Amsterdam: Netherlands 0, Russia 2: Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Melle van Gemerden (Ned) 7-6(6), 7-5, 6-4; Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) bt Raemon Sluiter (Ned) 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).

At Halle: Germany 0, France 2: Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) bt Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) 7-5, 7-6(7), 6-0; Richard Gasquet (Fra) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-3.

At Buenos Aires: Argentina 2, Sweden 0: David Nalbandian (Arg) bt Robin Soderling (Swe) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; Jose Acasuso (Arg) bt Thomas Johansson (Swe) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

At Graz: Austria 0, Croatia 2: Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) bt Stefan Koubek (Aut) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Mario Ancic (Cro) bt Jurgen Melzer (Aut) 6-7(2), 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

At La Jolla: U.S. 1, Romania 1: Andrei Pavel (Rom) bt Andy Roddick (U.S.) 6-7(2), 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-2, 6-4; James Blake (U.S.) bt Victor Hanescu (Rom) 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-2.

At Rancagua: Chile 2, Slovakia 0: Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) bt Michael Mertinak (Svk) 7-6(5), 7-6(3), 6-3; Nicolas Massu (Chi) bt Dominik Hrbaty (Svk) 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (4). — Agencies

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