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This is how our regular meeting at "AMFIK" looks like.
Me, with Jozo/Bruno on my side of the table, against us Tomas/Dzedo and Figi. |
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DAVIS CUP, first round: USA beats SLOVAKIA
It took United States captain Patrick McEnroe only a few minutes after the U.S. clinched its first round Davis Cup tie with a doubles victory over the Slovakia Republic Saturday to say America’s top player Pete Sampras will get the day off Sunday.
Sampras will be replaced by 22-year old James Blake, who helped the U.S. clinch the win Saturday and a trip to the quarterfinals in April against the Spain-Morocco winner.
Blake and 20-year old Mardy Fish, part of McEnroe’s youth movement, needed four sets to win the doubles, but were still in command most of the way in beating the Slovak duo of 19-year old Karol Beck and veteran Slovakian Davis Cupper Jan Kroslak 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
“I think they were just better today”, said Kroslak. “They were very good on the rallies and didn’t make but maybe one error in the whole match on the long rallies.”
McEnroe, who made the decision earlier in the week to not play 31-year old Todd Martin, a 9-year veteran of the U.S. team, and give Blake and Fish a chance at doubles, agreed wholeheartedly with the Slovak’s thoughts on the match.
“I’m glad to see these guys do it, and I know they have the talent to do it, but handling the situation of being in a ‘live’ Davis Cup match is a lot of pressure.
The American youngsters put some pressure on themselves in the second set losing a 7-5 tiebreaker to even the match at a set apiece. But from that point on, and especially late in the third set, Blake picked his game up a notch and it was a matter of time until the Slovaks were closed out.
Even though eliminated with Sunday’s singles remaining, Slovak captain Miloslav Mecir was still pleased with the play of Beck and Kroslak who lost very competitive 4-set singles matches to Sampras and Andy Roddick Friday.
But Mecir also couldn’t help but think what it would have been to have had his country’s top two players Dominik Hrbaty and Karol Kucera who had to pull out of the first round tie with injuries.
However, the former 1988 olympic gold medalist in tennis found a positive. “Now I see the other players are quite solid players and I’m satisfied with what they did.”
Mecir may make a change Sunday in the dead rubbers and use Ladislav Svarc, the third healthy member of the depleted Slovakian squad. Svarc, ranked 317 in the world would play Roddick if Kroslak stays in the lineup against Blake.
Another sellout crowd of 6,688 watched Saturday’s play as a new record for attendance for a first round match in the U.S. was assured with Sunday’s crowd already a sellout too.
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,,JOZO,,
Jozo is in Murcia, Spain now, serving as a volunteer at local school. He loves football, that's why he also trains football there.
www.ihwc.net
a bit of history: Ice Hockey World Championships 2000:
SLOVAKIA - Czech Rep. 3:5
In life, the rule is: Big brother shows no mercy to little brother.
The rule held true as the Czech Republic defeated Slovakia 5-3 to win the gold medal at the 2000 IIHF World Championships Sunday evening at St. Petersburg's Ice Palace.
A late third period rally by the Slovaks made it exciting, but it was Robert Reichel who came up with a timely goal to kill their momentum, similar to his feat against Canada in Friday's semi-finals.
www.daviscup.org
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remember? :
ROLAND GARROS 1999
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meet KAROL KUCERA
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