Aussies To Host Swiss In Davis Cup Semi At Melbourne Park
Aussies To Host Swiss In Davis Cup Semi At Melbourne Park
By Richard Pagliaro
05/15/2003
Rod Laver will play a prominent part in Australia's Davis Cup
semifinal. Tennis Australia officials announced today that
Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena ?the Australian Open's stadium
court ?will serve as the site for Australia's Davis Cup semifinal
tie against visiting Switzerland, September 19th-21st.
The winner of the semifinal tie will play either Spain or Argentina
in the Davis Cup final, which begins November 24th.
The semifinal showdown with the Swiss represents a homecoming of
sorts for Australia's Mark Philippoussis, a Melbourne native,
who's excited about the prospect of playing his first Davis Cup
tie in front of his hometown crowd.
"I don't think I've ever played a Davis Cup tie in Melbourne,"
Philippoussis told The Advertiser. "It will be huge, with my
family and friends there and the atmosphere. There's nothing
better than playing a Davis Cup tie in Australia. The first one
for a long time was in Sydney (against Britain in February) and
I was extremely nervous. I was a lot more calm (in Australia's
5-0 sweep of host Sweden in April's quarterfinals) this time and
concentrated, and I think I will be even better in the semifinals
against Switzerland."
The 26-year-old Philippoussis, who won two singles matches to
lead Australia to its last Davis Cup title with a 3-2 victory
over France in the 1999 final staged in Nice, could be the key to
the Aussies' attempt to advance to the final for the fourth time
in the last five years.
The former U.S. Open finalist is winless in his two career meetings
with Swiss star Roger Federer, who almost singlehandedly led the
Swiss to the semis by winning two singles matches and teaming with
Swiss captain Marc Rosset to win the doubles in Switzerland's 3-2
victory over France in the quarterfinals.
Top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt holds a 6-2 career edge over Federer
and would also be a heavy favorite against an assortment of potential
Swiss No. 2 singles players, including 85th-ranked Michel Kratochvil,
155th-ranked George Bastl and 138th-ranked Ivo Hueberger.
Federer and Rosset are expected to reprise their roles as the Swiss
doubles team. Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs have played doubles
for Australia, though Australian captain John Fitzgerald could opt
to use Hewitt and/or Philippoussis in doubles depending upon the
outcome of the first day of singles.
Though the Aussies were upset by France, 3-2, the last time they
hosted a tie in Melbourne in the 2001 final, Fitzgerald is optimistic
the setting is conducive to success this time.
"All of the players love competing in Melbourne where they receive
such great crowd support," Fitzgerald said. "Rod Laver Arena is a
fantastic venue to hold such an important tie."
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No pain, all heart, Lleyki. You've got to fight to the end. Come Lleyton!!
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