Davis Cup World Group Playoffs

SERBIA defeated AUSTRALIA 4-1
Venue: Belgrade, Serbia (clay – indoors)



Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Peter Luczak (AUS) 61 64 62
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 62 36 46 61 61
Novak Djokovic/Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) d. Paul Hanley/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 36 64 63 62
Novak Djokovic (SRB) d. Chris Guccione (AUS) 63 76(3) 76(5)
Boris Pashanski (SRB) d. Peter Luczak (AUS) 46 63 61

The Djokster steals the show, winning three points and leading Serbia to its first World Group in 2008. Hewitt came down with a virus and wasn't able to take the court in reverse singles. Guccione subbed for him and wasn't able to do much to keep Australia in the tie.


AUSTRIA defeated BRAZIL 4-1
Venue: Innsbruck, Austria (carpet – indoors)



Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 64 64 64
Stefan Koubek (AUT) d. Ricardo Mello (BRA) 62 63 63
Julian Knowle/Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Gustavo Kuerten/Andre Sa (BRA) 61 61 64
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) d. Ricardo Mello (BRA) 36 64 75
Andre Sa (BRA) d. Werner Eschauer (AUT) 64 63

No surprise here. Austria was always going to be favored at home on indoor carpet against Brazil. Kuerten made a return to competitive tennis, filling in for Marcelo Melo, Sa's usual doubles partner, who was otherwise engaged over the weekend.


PERU defeated BELARUS 4-1
Venue: Lima, Peru (clay – outdoors)



Ivan Miranda (PER) v Max Mirnyi (BLR) 64 36 76(6) 64
Luis Horna (PER) d. Vladimir Voltchkov (BLR) 36 67(4) 64 64 62
Max Mirnyi/Vladimir Voltchkov (BLR) d. Ivan Miranda/Mateus Silva (PER) 63 75 62
Luis Horna (PER) d. Max Mirnyi (BLR) 64 75 46 76(4)
Matias Silva (PER) d. Andrei Karatchenia (BLR) 64 64

Horna (pictured) becomes Peru's hero after his four-set win over Mirnyi qualified Peru for the 2008 World Group for the first time.


ISRAEL defeated CHILE 3-2
Venue: Ramat Hasharon, Israel (hard – outdoors)



Dudi Sela (ISR) d. Nicolas Massu (CHI) 63 64 67(3) 64
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) d. Noam Okun (ISR) 46 63 75 64
Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (ISR) d. Fernando Gonzalez/Nicolas Massu (CHI) 26 76(1) 62 36 10-8
Dudi Sela (ISR) d. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 46 76(5) 57 76(7) 63
Paul Capdeville (CHI) d. Noam Okun (ISR) 21 ret.

Sela (pictured) is making quite a name for himself among Israeli male tennis players. Earlier this year, he almost defeated Marat Safin at the Australian Open. Now, he's his nation's hero after outlasting Gonzalez in five tight sets. Another country makes its debut into the World Group in 2008.

GREAT BRITAIN defeated CROATIA 4-1
Venue: Wimbledon, London, Great Britain (grass – outdoors)



Andy Murray (GBR) d. Marin Cilic (CRO) 36 64 62 46 63
Tim Henman (GBR) d. Roko Karanusic (CRO) 64 63 63
Tim Henman/Jamie Murray (GBR) d. Marin Cilic/Lovro Zovko (CRO) 46 64 76(3) 75
Andy Murray (GBR) d. Roko Karanusic (CRO) 64 76(4)
Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Jamie Baker (GBR) 64 64

Tim Henman's last hoorah and he's able to go out in style, clenching the tie alongside Jamie Murray against Croatia. Ivan Ljubicic retired from Davis Cup play last year. Henman is all done with competitive tennis on the ATP. A true gentleman, I wish him well in his life's endeavors.

CZECH REPUBLIC defeated SWITZERLAND 3-2
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic (carpet – indoors)



Roger Federer (SUI) d. Radek Stepanek (CZE) 63 62 67(4) 76(5)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) d. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 76(2) 64 75
Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Yves Allegro/Roger Federer (SUI) 36 57 76(7) 64 64
Roger Federer (SUI) d. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 76(5) 76(10) 63
Radek Stepanek (CZE) d. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 76(3) 63 76(4)

Stepanek (pictured) continues his good run of form defeating Wawrinka and clenching the tie for his nation against Switzerland. But it was Stepanek and Berdych's great comeback in doubles that told the tale of the tape for this tie. Raja told the world that his vanquishers were lucky that he couldn't take advantage of the lead and capitilize on some break points late in the match. Okay, Serena.

ROMANIA depeated JAPAN 3-2
Venue: Osaka, Japan (carpet – indoors)



Takao Suzuki (JPN) d. Victor Hanescu (ROM) 76(4) 61 76(4)
Andrei Pavel (ROM) d. Go Soeda (JPN) 63 67(7) 75 63
Satoshi Iwabuchi/Takao Suzuki (JPN) d. Florin Mergea/Horia Tecau (ROM) 64 64 64
Andrei Pavel (ROM) d. Takao Suzuki (JPN) 67(6) 67(1) 61 64 64
Victor Hanescu (ROM) d. Go Soeda (JPN) 63 57 76(6) 76(3)

Japan almost became the fifth nation to make a debut in World Group next year, but Suzuki couldn't hold on to his two set to love lead against Pavel to close out the tie, so Hanescu gets to be the hero for Romania after he beat Soeda in four tight sets.

KOREA. REP. defeated SLOVAK REPUBLIC 3-2
Venue: Bratislava, Slovak Republic (clay – indoors)



Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Martin Klizan (SVK) 63 60 61
Lukas Lacko (SVK) d. Woong-Sun Jun (KOR) 63 62 76(2)
Kyu-Tae Im/Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Lukas Lacko/Michal Mertinak (SVK) 60 63 62
Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) d. Lukas Lacko (SVK) 63 63 46 61
Michal Mertinak (SVK) d. Jae-Sung An (KOR) 63 62

In a way, we end where we begin. Like Djoke, Lee wins three points for Korea and becomes his nation's hero in dismissing the Slovak Republic. To bad he couldn't do it in front of a home crowd like Djoke, Stepanek, Sela, and Horna. Yet another country will make its 2008 World Group debut in what promises to be a great year for Davis Cup.