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Belgium secures spot in world group
Source: Agencies |
September 21, 2010, Tuesday
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BELGIUM secured a place in the Davis Cup world group yesterday, winning both the reverse singles in the playoff against Australia, the same opponents they had knocked out of the elite league in 2007.
For the second time in the tie, which spilled into its fourth day because of heavy rain on Sunday, Oliver Rochus brought Belgium level when he downed Peter Luczak 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 at the Cairns International Tennis Centre.
In the decider, Steve Darcis beat Carsten Ball 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 to spoil Lleyton Hewitt's celebration after the former world No. 1 had emerged as Australia's most successful player in the competition's history, sharing the distinction with Adrian Quist.
The setback left Australia captain John Fitzgerald hoping for a better luck next year and underlined the decline of the former tennis powerhouse.
Hewitt had beaten Ruben Bemelmans 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the first singles to join Quist as Australia's most successful Davis Cup player with 43 wins.
Belgium, however, drew level when Rochus got the better of Carsten Ball 6-4, 6-4, 7-6. Hewitt put Australia ahead again on Saturday when he teamed up with Paul Hanley for an easy 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Rochus and Bemelmans.
Hewitt sustained a wrist injury in the process that ruled him out of the reverse singles and his late replacement Luczak could not reproduce the form that had helped him subdue Rochus in both of their previous encounters.
Elsewhere, Serbia will host France in an all-European Davis Cup final in December after the Serbs rallied to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in a thrilling contest on Sunday.
Serbia, which was trailing 1-2 after Saturday's doubles, leveled the best-of-five series when Novak Djokovic defeated Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday's first reverse singles match in Belgrade.
Janko Tipsarevic then secured Serbia's first Davis Cup final appearance by beating Radek Stepanek 6-0, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the deciding match.
France had already qualified for the December 3-5 final in Belgrade by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in Saturday's doubles.
It completed a 5-0 rout on Sunday when Gilles Simon beat Eduardo Schwank 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 6-3 and Arnaud Clement enjoyed an emphatic 7-5, 6-1 win over Horacio Zeballos.
For the second time in the tie, which spilled into its fourth day because of heavy rain on Sunday, Oliver Rochus brought Belgium level when he downed Peter Luczak 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 at the Cairns International Tennis Centre.
In the decider, Steve Darcis beat Carsten Ball 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 to spoil Lleyton Hewitt's celebration after the former world No. 1 had emerged as Australia's most successful player in the competition's history, sharing the distinction with Adrian Quist.
The setback left Australia captain John Fitzgerald hoping for a better luck next year and underlined the decline of the former tennis powerhouse.
Hewitt had beaten Ruben Bemelmans 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the first singles to join Quist as Australia's most successful Davis Cup player with 43 wins.
Belgium, however, drew level when Rochus got the better of Carsten Ball 6-4, 6-4, 7-6. Hewitt put Australia ahead again on Saturday when he teamed up with Paul Hanley for an easy 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Rochus and Bemelmans.
Hewitt sustained a wrist injury in the process that ruled him out of the reverse singles and his late replacement Luczak could not reproduce the form that had helped him subdue Rochus in both of their previous encounters.
Elsewhere, Serbia will host France in an all-European Davis Cup final in December after the Serbs rallied to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in a thrilling contest on Sunday.
Serbia, which was trailing 1-2 after Saturday's doubles, leveled the best-of-five series when Novak Djokovic defeated Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday's first reverse singles match in Belgrade.
Janko Tipsarevic then secured Serbia's first Davis Cup final appearance by beating Radek Stepanek 6-0, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the deciding match.
France had already qualified for the December 3-5 final in Belgrade by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in Saturday's doubles.
It completed a 5-0 rout on Sunday when Gilles Simon beat Eduardo Schwank 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 6-3 and Arnaud Clement enjoyed an emphatic 7-5, 6-1 win over Horacio Zeballos.
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