Serbs and Czechs Win To Set Up Davis Cup Final - Mondays With Bob Greene

Mondays with Bob Greene

16 September 2013

STARS

US Open

Men’s Singles: Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-1

OTHER

Lucie Safarova beat Marina Erakovic 6-4 6-3 to win the Bell Challenge inQuébecCity,Québec,Canada

Bojana Jovanovski beat Olga Govortsova 4-6 7-5 7-6 (3) to win the Tashkent Open inTashkent,Uzbekistan

DAVIS CUP

World Group Semifinals

Serbia beat Canada 3-2 at Belgrade,Serbia

CzechRepublic beat Argentina 3-2 atPrague,Czech Republic

World Group Playoffs

(Winners are in 2014 World Group)

Spainbeat Ukraine5-0 at Madrid, Spain

NetherlandsbeatAustria5-0 atGroningen,Netherlands

Great BritainbeatCroatia4-1 atUmag,Croatia

Switzerlandbeat Ecuador4-1 at Neufchatel, Switzerland

Germanybeat Brazil4-1 at Warsaw, Poland

Belgium beat Israel 3-2 at Antwerp, Belgium

Japan beat Colombia 3-2 at Tokyo, Japan

Group I Second Round Playoff

Americas Zone: Chile beat Dominican Republic 4-1 at Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic; Asia/Oceania Zone: Chinese Taipei beat Indonesia 5-0 at Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Group I First Round Playoff

Europe/Africa Zone: Slovenia beat South Africa 4-1 at Ljubljana, Slovenia

Group II Third Round

Americas Zone: Venezuela beat El Salvador 3-1 at Ciudad Merliot, El Salvador; Asia/Oceania Zone: New Zealand beat Philippines 3-2 at Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines; Europe/Africa Zone: Latvia beat Finland 3-2 at Riga, Latvia

SAYING

“This was like the World Cup for us.” – Novak Djokovic, after leading Serbia past Canada and into the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.

“We would like to keep the trophy because it’s beautiful. This competition means a lot to us.” – Radek Stepanek, who teamed with Tomas Berdych to lead the Davis Cup defending champion Czech Republic team to a semifinal win over Argentina.

“I hope it’s not another five years until the next (title).” – Lucie Safarova, who won the Bell Challenge, her first WTA title in five years.

“I love playing here. I was too young when I came here for the first time, then last year I reached the quarterfinals, and now this. It’s a great feeling to do so well here after being here for the last three years in a row.” – Bojana Jovanovski, after winning in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“We’ve been working a lot over the last few years to play more as a team and less as individuals, and we really complemented each other well here in Québec. We really understand each other now.” – Anastasia Rodionova, after teaming with Alla Kudryavtseva to win the Bell Challenge doubles.

“To me he’s better than ever. He’s moving better, it was amazing to see how much he wanted it. His will to win … I’ve never seen anyone like it.” – John McEnroe, talking about Rafael Nadal’s US Open victory.

“I’ve had a tough year. I haven’t had too many matches, so it was good that I had to play the qualies. It’s great to finish this week on a good note. This title means a lot to me.” – Bojana Jovanovski, who won seven matches in eight days to claim the title in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.

“At this moment, Italian women’s tennis is at its best with players like (Sara) Errani, (Roberta) Vinci, (Francesca) Schiavone, (Karin) Knapp, (Flavia) Pennetta and Camila (Giorgi) all in the Top 100. It has given players like me great motivation to keep improving. I feel like I want to prove myself too. Honestly, I really want to be there with them, I’m working hard, and hopefully sooner or later I’ll be there to share my name with all of them too.” – Nastassja Burnett.

“It was a very tough time to be out for nine months because of my knee and foot injuries – and it takes a lot of time to come back – but now I feel better and stronger with every passing day. My goal is to stay healthy and prevent any other injuries, and to get back into the Top 100 by the end of the year.” – Petra Cetkovska, who missed nearly nine months on the WTA Tour.

“Balancing marriage and tennis is hard but I’m thankful to my husband, who appreciates what I do. He knows playing tennis has always been my dream and he helps me a lot in my career, beyond doubt.” – Vesna Dolonc, on married life.

SPANISH REIGNS

When Rafael Nadal destroyed the world’s top-ranked player to win his second US Open and 13^th Grand Slam tournament title, former players lined up to pay tribute to the Spanish left-hander. “It is one of the greatest years of all time and in my opinion it is probably the greatest year a tennis player has ever had,” John Lloyd said of Nadal’s return from a serious knee injury. Nadal has reached 12 finals this year, winning 10. He won all 22 matches he played on hard court in 2013 and posted a match record of 63-3 this year. Until Richard Gasquet broke Nadal in the semifinals at the year’s final major tournament, he had won 88 consecutive service games. The Spaniard is just one title away from Pete Sampras in the all-time list of male Grand Slam singles winners and four behind Roger Federer’s record of 17. “I think if he stays healthy he can easily win four or five more, no doubt about it,” said McEnroe, a seven-time major tournament champion. By winning the US Open, Nadal broke a tie with Roy Emerson and is now two titles ahead of two of the greatest champions in the sport, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg. “Let’s hope that he stays healthy because it would be great for our sport – and somebody’s going to have to step up,” McEnroe said. Pat Cash, the 1987Wimbledon champion, said “Nadal could surpass Federer’s total of 17. That debate over who is the greatest is fun but pointless, but you can’t argue with eight French Opens and maybe more to come. … The only thing holding him back is his knees.”

SUSPENDED

Marin Cilic, once ranked as high as ninth in the world, has been handed a nine-month suspension for a doping violation. In making the announcement, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the suspension was back-dated to May 1 and Cilic will be able to return to the ATP World Tour on January 31, 2014. Cilic tested positive for nikethamide, a stimulant, while he was at a tournament in Munich, Germany. The ITF said an independent tribunal found that Cilic ingested the stimulant inadvertently while taking glucose tablets “’and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so.’” The 24-year-old from Croatia has not played since withdrawing from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June. He was ranked ninth in the world in early 2010 and is currently ranked 24^th.

SECOND TITLE

Bojana Jovanovski could be excused if she was tired at the end of her stay in Uzbekistan. She had played – and won – seven matches in eight days. She was also jubilant, having won the Tashkent Open for her second WTA title. Jovanovski missed the main draw cut-off date, so had to play qualifying. She won both matches in straight sets to get into the main draw – and as the highest-ranked player in the field earned the top seeding. Playing seventh-seeded Galina Voskoboeva in the quarterfinals, Jovanovski was two points away from losing before the survived 1-6 6-4 7-6 (5). “I didn’t start well in the first set – it was so windy,” Jovanovski said. In the middle of the second set I got my rhythm and started being more aggressive. At the end I managed to win and I’m very happy about it.” In the final, Jovanovski bested unseeded Olga Govortsova in a match that lasted four minutes shy of three hours. “Anybody could have won this match today,” Jovanovski said. “It was a close match and all credit to Olga for an incredible battle. I’m so happy, and I didn’t really believe I could do it today.” Jovanovski won won atBakulast year. Govortsova has been in four finals, but has yet to win, losing to Lindsay Davenport inMemphisin 2008, to Francesca Schiavone inMoscow in 2009 and to Caroline Wozniacki in Ponte Vedra Beachin 2010.

SAFAROVA STOPS DROUGHT

It had been a long time since Lucie Safarova captured the big trophy. The Czech left-hander defeatedNew Zealand’s Marina Erakovic in the Bell Challenge final to capture her fifth WTA title, but her first in five years. “I hope it’s not another five years until the next (title),” Safarova said. The 26-year-old broke her opponent four times. “It was just about a few points today, but I was more consistent with my game and more aggressive, and I think that’s why I won,” said Safarova, who entered the tournament ranked 48th in the world. “My strategy was to try to go to her backhand side and just try to use my lefty shots as well as I could. I was a little bit nervous at the end because it was so long since my last WTA title.”

SWITCH IN THINKING

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray says Davis Cup should become “a mandatory event.”Great Britain’s top player “We’re told which events to play throughout the whole year,”Murray said. “They should make Davis Cup a mandatory event so it isn’t up for discussion.” Playing Davis Cup for the first time in two years, the Wimbledon champion led Great Britain past Croatia and back into the World Group for 2014. Now 26 years old, Murray played Davis Cup regularly when he was younger and is now unbeaten in 16 matches since losing to Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in his debut. “It isn’t about prioritizing Davis Cup,”Murray said. “We, as tennis players, are told which tournaments to play. We don’t have much flexibility in our schedule at all, and that’s why I don’t understand why they don’t make Davis Cup a mandatory event. We are meant to play 18 mandatory events during the year, which is about 27, 28 weeks worth of tournaments, and we don’t get to decide which ones we do and don’t play.” The “mandatory events” count towards a player’s world rankings and includes the four Grand Slam tournaments – which aren’t actually mandatory – and the nine Masters 1000 events. Francesco Ricci Bitti, president of the International Tennis Federation, said he found Murray’s suggestion “interesting.”

SWISS STARTER?

Now that Stanislas Wawrinka has led Switzerland back into the Davis Cup World Group, he would love to see Roger Federer join him for the 2014 international team competition. “My dream is that Roger would text me and say, ‘Go and win this tie and next year I’ll be a part of the team,’” Wawrinka said. Switzerland has never won the Davis Cup and Federer, the former world’s number one player, has only played one World Group level tie since 2004 – a 5-0 home loss to the United States in February 2012. Federer and Wawrinka teamed up to win the men’s doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

SCHOLARLY RUBIN

Remember Chanda Rubin? Winner of seven WTA titles and ranked as high as sixth in the world, the right-hander was inducted earlier this year into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Her fellow players remember that Chanda always had a book in her hands when she wasn’t playing. All of that studying has paid off. Rubin recently graduated cum laude from Harvard Extension School with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree. At the recently concluded US Open, Rubin and Iva Majoli lost the Women’s Champion Doubles title to Martina Navratilova and Rennae Stubbs 6-2 6-4.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Québec: Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-3

Tashkent: Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova beat Olga Govortsova and Mandy Minella 6-3 6-3

SURFING

St. Petersburg: www.spbopen.ru

Metz: www.moselle-open.com

Szezecin: www.pekaoszczecinopen.pl

Seoul: www.kdbkoreaopen.com

Guangzhou: www.guangzhouopen.org/

Kuala Lumpur: www.malaysianopentennis.com

Bangkok: www.thailandopen.org

Tokyo: www.toray-ppo.co.jp