Davis Cup: Israel gets 2nd chance against Sweden

Dudi Sela: "This is a very tough draw... maybe we can surprise them."

By ALLON SINAI
dudi sela 224.88 (photo credit: AP)
dudi sela 224.88
(photo credit: AP)
Israel will get a chance to avenge its 3-2 home defeat to Sweden when it visits the Scandinavians in the first round of the Davis Cup World Group next year. Captain Eyal Ran's team was pitted against Sweden at the Davis Cup draw in Madrid on Tuesday. In February, Israel came within one win of reaching the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament for just the second time in history, but Jonas Bjorkman got the better of Harel Levy in the fifth and decisive match at Ramat Hasharon and sent the national team to the World Group playoffs. Israel is playing in the World Group on consecutive years for the first time since 1991. It ensured itself another year among the top 16 nations with an easy 4-1 victory over Peru this past weekend, but will be playing away from home for the first time in six ties when it visits Sweden on March 6-8. "This is a very tough draw," said Dudi Sela, who has won eight of his last 10 Davis Cup matches. "We failed to beat them in Israel and they didn't even come with their No. 1 player Robin Soderling. Our chances aren't very good, but this is the World Group and obviously we weren't going to get an easy tie. I hope we will be in better shape than we were when we met them earlier this year and maybe we can surprise them." Sweden lost 4-1 to Argentina in the quarterfinals following its victory over Israel and reached the semis of the competition last year. Soderling, who missed the trip to Israel in February through injury, is ranked 34th in the world and makes a formidable team with Thomas Johansson, who at his best in 2002 was ranked at No. 7, the Swedes only other player in the top-100, ranked No. 77. The 36-year-old Bjorkman (173), who is ranked 10th in doubles, could also be back to haunt Israel, with Simon Aspelin (14 in the world in doubles) and Robert Lindstedt (21) giving captain Mats Wilander plenty of options for the doubles match. The Swedes have played in the World Group every year apart from 2000 and won the title six times in the 1980's and 1990's, with their last triumph coming in 1998. "Of all the draws we could have got on the road this is the most reasonable," Israel captain Eyal Ran said. "We know their players and they will be massive favorites. We will do all we can to prepare for them and give them a fight and maybe even record a surprise." Tuesday's 2009 World Group draw also handed the US a tough opener at home against Switzerland, though it's not certain whether Roger Federer will play in the March 6-8 matches. The countries split their two prior meetings, with Federer winning three points to lead the Swiss to victory in Basel in another first-round series played in 2001. But Federer hasn't played in an early Davis Cup series since 2004, preferring to wait until the later rounds. The five-time Wimbledon and five-time US Open champion led Switzerland to a 4-1 win over Belgium last weekend to stay in the elite 16-nation World Group. Switzerland's other top player is No. 9-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka, who teamed with Federer to win the Olympic doubles gold medal in Beijing. Federer said last week that the schedule is more conducive for Davis Cup next year. "This year it was particularly brutal actually for all of us," he said. "It has been really difficult. Next year it is going to be easier." Swiss Tennis spokeswoman Sandra Perez said the team hopes Federer will play, noting that he is scheduled to play in the United States the following week at Indian Wells, California, from March 9-22. "Roger has said he wants to put the Davis Cup into his calendar, but he wants to see all the details first," Perez said. "He will do anything possible to be there. "From the perspective of the tournament calendar [the US] is probably the best opponent we could get. Otherwise it is the most difficult draw." Argentina will host Spain in the 2008 final on November 21-23. Argentina downed Russia 3-2 last weekend, while Rafael Nadal led Spain to 4-1 win over the Unites States. Argentina will face the Netherlands and Spain will host Serbia in the first round in 2009, while Russia plays at Romania. Also in the World Group, the Czech Republic hosts France, Chile is at Croatia and Austria goes to Germany. AP contributed to this report.