Weintraub’s rehab, Ram’s swan-song top concerns for Israel

Amir Weintraub remains a doubt to play in Israel’s Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Argentina next weekend.

By ALLON SINAI
Amir Weintraub (photo credit: OFRA FRIEDMAN, ITA)
Amir Weintraub
(photo credit: OFRA FRIEDMAN, ITA)
Amir Weintraub remains a doubt to play in Israel’s Davis Cup World Group playoff tie against Argentina next weekend, despite completing Thursday’s training session at the Hadar Yosef Tennis Center in Tel Aviv.
The 27-year-old has played just one match in more than three months due to a groin injury and underwent surgery in late July after unsuccessfully trying to overcome the pain with injections.
Weintraub returned to training after three weeks, but he admitted on Thursday that he is still not moving well, and while he remains optimistic he will be able to play, he couldn’t guarantee it. He will undergo a fitness test next week to determine if he can face Argentina in Sunrise, Florida.
The blue-and-white will host the tie in Sunrise after the ITF ruled last month that the playoff can’t take place in Israel due to the security situation in the region.
Weintraub, whose ranking has dropped to No. 242, is supposed to be the national team’s No. 2 singles player behind Dudi Sela (83).
Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich are set to team up one final time, with Ram to make the final appearance of his career after announcing his retirement earlier this year.
Argentina will be led by Leonardo Mayer (26), Carlos Berlocq (63) and Juan Monaco (99), with Horacio Zeballos (ranked No. 59 in doubles) the team’s doubles expert.
“Amir isn’t in top form and we can’t expect him to beat Argentina,” said Ram. “Our team in general isn’t at its best and we are clearly the underdog. If we had a 20-30 percent chance of winning in Israel, now we have a 10 percent chance with the tie being played in Florida.
Nevertheless, we have recorded crazy results in the past and I believe we can do so once more.”