Davis Cup 2011 World Group Playoffs Line-up: Team Romania vs Team Czech Republic
With only ten days left in the start of the playoffs for the 2012 Davis Cup World Group, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced the line-up on Tuesday, 6th September for the ties from 16th to
18th of this month. Winners of the playoffs will move into the world group of the Davis Cup in 2012 while the losers will move into the Group I to try their luck again.
Headlining the playoffs draw is the top seeded Team Czech Republic as they visit Team Romania. Set at the Centrul National De Tenis in Bucharest, the two teams will be colliding on the red surface (clay). Playing each other for
the fifth time, the Czechs currently lead the head-to-head 3-2 against the Romanians. They last clashed in 2001, when the two teams battled it out tooth and nail before the Czechs edged past with a close 3-2 win.
Starting off the year in the World Group, the Czech team was relegated into the playoffs following their first round 3-2 loss to Team Kazakhstan. Although the Czechs had then world number six Tomas Berdych on their side, the Czech
giant failed to perform as he lost his second singles rubber to Andrey Golubev losing the tie.
Once more in the line-up, Berdych hopes to give it his all in the hopes of taking Team Czech once more into the world group. Under the captaincy of Jaroslav Navratil, Berdych is joined by compatriots Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol
and Jan Hajek.
A runner up at the 2010 Wimbledon championships, Berdych has failed to recapture his form this year. Unable to shine at any of the Grand Slams, Berdych plummeted in the ranking from world number six to world number nine. His only
big win of the year came at the Cincinnati Masters when he defeated former world number one, Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Although the Czech can match any of the top ten on his best day, the Czech giant has recently been plagued by an ailing shoulder.
He has pulled out from the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open for the same reason. However, a recovered Berdych will be more than enough to secure Team Czech’s chances in the World Group in 2012.
If Berdych’s presence wasn’t enough, the Czechs have another ace up their sleeve, Stepanek. A pro since 1996, Stepanek has recently regained his form this season. Ranked 25th in the world, Stepanek won the title at the
Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington in August after doing away with world number eight Gael Monfils in straight sets.
Rosol, another top 100 player, ranked 65th in the player only adds to the talent pool with Hajek in the reserve.
Next to the Czechs, the Romanian line-up suggests that the latter should roll over despite enjoying the home court advantage. With no player ranked inside the top 100, Romania’s highest ranked player is Adrian Ungur, 136th
in the world. Team captain Andrei Pavel adds Victor Crivoi and Marius Copil for the singles rubber both of whom are ranked well outside the 200. Romania’s only strength is the 11th ranked doubles specialist Horia Tecau.
Steamrolled in the first round of the World Group in March 2011, the Romanians came crashing into the playoffs after their 1-4 loss to Team Argentina. Their only win came in the final fifth rubber when Ungur did away with Monaco
– a pity victory indeed.
Whether the local crowd can counter Czech’s three top-100 players remains to be seen. Other than a miracle, the Romanian’s are expected to go down by a landslide.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and have nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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