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Homecoming: Novak Djokovic Carries Serbian Davis Cup Hopes
By Adrianna Outlaw
© Michael O'Kane
(September 16, 2010) Fresh off his second trip to the US Open final in the last three years, Novak Djokovic arrived in Serbia yesterday ready to take full flight this weekend. The World No. 2 will play a pivotal role in Serbia's quest to reach its first Davis Cup final when it hosts 2009 Davis Cup runner-up Czech Republic on a hard court in Belgrade.
A temporary hard court will be laid inside the 16,842-seat Belgrade Arena for the tie. Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki, the man who nearly knocked Djokovic out of the US Open first round, and Nenad Zimonjic reprise their roles as Serbian starters.
Czech Republic fortunes will rest on the shoulders of Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek with Ivo Minar and Jan Hajek playing doubles.
Former Australian Open champion Djokovic takes on Stepanek in tomorrow's opening match followed by Tipsarevic vs. Berdych.
Zimonjic, who owns a 23-6 Davis Cup doubles record, partners Troicki in Saturdays's doubles match against Hajek and Minar.
In a rematch of the Wimbledon semifinals, Djokovic plays Berdych in Sunday's reverse singles with Tipsarevic taking on Stepanek in the fifth-and-final match of the tie.
The winner of this semifinal will face either France or Argentina in the December 3- Davis Cup final.
The venue was used in the first round this year when Serbia saw off USA on clay in front of a near capacity crowd to reach its first Davis Cup quarterfinal. The Serbian team has continued to make history by reaching its first semifinal with a decisive win over Croatia in Split.
Czech Republic holds a 5-4 head-to-head advantage over Serbia however these nations have not faced each other since Czech Republic formed part of Czechoslovakia and Serbia.
WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS
FRANCE v ARGENTINA
Venue: Palais des Sports de Gerland, Lyon , France (hard - indoors)
Michael Llodra (FRA) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Gael Monfils (FRA) v David Nalbandian (ARG)
Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA) v Eduardo Schwank/Horacio Zeballos (ARG)
Gael Monfils (FRA) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Michael Llodra (FRA) v David Nalbandian (ARG)
SERBIA v CZECH REPUBLIC
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade , Serbia (hard - indoors)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Viktor Troicki/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) v Jan Hajek/Ivo Minar (CZE)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Janko Tiparevic (SRB) v Radek Stepanek (CZE)
WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS
COLOMBIA v USA
Venue: Plaza de Toros La Santamaria, Bogota , Colombia (clay – outdoors)
To follow
ISRAEL v AUSTRIA *
Venue: Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv , Israel (hard – indoors)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
Harel Levy (ISR) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) v Jurgen Melzer/Alexander Peya (AUT)
Dudi Sela (ISR) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Harel Levy (ISR) v v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)
* being played 16, 17, 19 September
GERMANY v SOUTH AFRICA
Venue: TC Weissenhof Stuttgart, Stuttgart , Germany (clay – outdoors)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Rik de Voest (RSA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Izak van der Merwe (RSA)
Andreas Beck/Christopher Kas (GER) v Jeff Coetzee/Wesley Moodie (RSA)
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Izak van der Merwe (RSA)
Florian Mayer (GER) v Rik de Voest (RSA)
SWEDEN v ITALY
Venue: Sparbanken Lidkoping Arena, Lidkoping, Sweden (hard – indoors)
Andreas Vinciguerra (SWE) d Potito Starace (ITA)
Robin Soderling (SWE) v Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Simon Aspelin/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) v Simone Bolelli/Daniele Bracciali (ITA)
Robin Soderling (SWE) v Potito Starace (ITA)
Andreas Vinciguerra (SWE) v Fabio Fognini (ITA)
INDIA v BRAZIL
Venue: SDAT Tennis Stadium, Chennai , India (hard – outdoors)
Rohan Bopanna (IND) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Somdev Devvarman (IND) v Ricardo Mello (BRA)
Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes (IND) v Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares (BRA)
Somdev Devvarman (IND) v Thomaz Bellucci (BRA)
Rohan Bopanna (IND) v Ricardo Mello (BRA)
AUSTRALIA v BELGIUM
Venue: Cairns Regional Tennis Centre, Cairns , Australia (hard – outdoors)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Steve Darcis (BEL)
Carsten Ball (AUS) v Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Paul Hanley/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Steve Darcis/Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Olivier Rochus (BEL)
Carsten Ball (AUS) v Steve Darcis (BEL)
KAZAKHSTAN v SWITZERLAND
Venue: The National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan (hard – indoors)
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Evgeny Korolev/Yuriy Schukin (KAZ) v Yves Allegro/Michael Lammer (SUI)
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) v Marco Chiudinelli (SUI)
ROMANIA v ECUADOR
Venue: Centrul National de Tenis, Bucharest, Romania (clay – outdoors)
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v Ivan Endara (ECU)
Adrian Ungur (ROU) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
Victor Hanescu/Horia Tecau (ROU) v Giovanni Lapentti/Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
Adrian Ungur (ROU) v Ivan Endara (ECU)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFFS
BELARUS v SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Venue: Republic Olympic Training Center for Tennis, Minsk, Belarus (hard – outdoors)
Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) v Martin Klizan (SVK)
Siarhei Betau (BLR) v Lukas Lacko (SVK)
Uladzimir Ignatik/Max Mirnyi (BLR) v Michael Mertinak/Filip Polasek (SVK)
Uladzimir Ignatik (BLR) v Lukas Lacko (SVK)
Siarhei Betau (BLR) v Martin Klizan (SVK)
LATVIA v POLAND
Venue: Olympic Sports Centre, Riga, Latvia (carpet – indoors)
Andis Juska (LAT) v Michal Przysiezny (POL)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Karlis Lejnieks/Deniss Pavlovs (LAT) v Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (POL)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) v Michael Przysieszny (POL)
Andis Juska (LAT) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
CANADA v DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Venue: Rexall Centre - Grandstand Court, Toronto, Canada (hard – outdoors)
To follow
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
KOREA, REP. v PHILIPPINES
Venue: Chanwon Municipal Tennis Courts, Changwon , Korea , Rep. (hard – outdoors)
Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) v Treat Huey (PHI)
Suk-Young Jeong (KOR) v Cecil Mamiit (PHI)
Hyun-Joon Kim/Jae-Min Seol (KOR) v Vicente Elberto Anasta/Johnny Arcilla (PHI)
Yong-Kyu Lim (KOR) v Cecil Mamiit (PHI)
Suk-Young Jeong (KOR) v Treat Huey (PHI)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP II THIRD ROUND
LITHUANIA v SLOVENIA
Venue: SEB Arena, Vilnius , Lithuania (hard - indoors)
Richard Berankis (LTU) v Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) v Grega Zemlja (SLO)
Laurynas Grigelis/Dovydas Sakinis (LTU) v Grega Zemla/Luka Gregorc (SLO)
Richard Berankis (LTU) v Grega Zemlja (SLO)
Laurynas Grigelis (LTU) v Blaz Kavcic (SLO)
PORTUGAL v BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
Venue: Centro de Tenis Do Jamor, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal (clay – outdoors)
Frederico Gil (POR) v Amer Delic (BIH)
Rui Machado (POR) v Aldin Setkic (BIH)
Frederico Gil/Leonardo Tavares (POR) v Amer Delic/Ismar Gorcic (BIH)
Frederico Gil (POR) v Aldin Setkic (BIH)
Rui Machado (POR) v Amer Delic (BIH)
AMERICAS ZONE GROUP II FINAL
MEXICO v VENEZUELA
Venue: Rafael El Pelon Osuna, Delg. Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico (clay – outdoors)
To follow
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II FINAL
THAILAND v NEW ZEALAND
Venue: National Tennis Development Centre (LTAT), Nontheburi , Thailand (hard – outdoors)
Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) v Michael Venus (NZL)
Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) v Jose Statham (NZL)
Sanchai Ratiwatana/Sonchat Ratiwatana (THA) v Daniel King-Turner/Michael Venus (THA)
Kittiphong Wachiramanowong (THA) v Michael Venus (NZL)
Weerapat Doakmaiklee (THA) v Jose Statham (NZL)
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