Italy are still in with a chance of reaching the final of the World Team Cup after Andreas Seppi upset Serbia’s Viktor Trojcki 6-1, 6-4 on Friday to keep his team’s hopes alive.
The Italians needed to keep up the pressure in the remaining singles and doubles games yesterday to secure a 3-0 victory over Serbia in the Blue Group, while hoping Argentina lose to Russia. Serbia lead the group.
Seppi produced his strongest performance so far at the Rochusclub and dominated Trojcki particularly in the first set, before the Serbian newcomer raised his level, but could not turn the match.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In the Red Group, Germany suffered a huge setback in the battle to make it to the final when Sweden’s Robin Soderling destroyed Rainer Schuettler 6-0, 6-0 in just under an hour.
Earlier, the US came out on top 2-1 in the battle royal with France when Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish saw off their rivals Jeremy Chardy and Gilles Simon 2-6, 6-4, 10-7 in the doubles for a decisive win.
Although the French brought their two top 10 players, Jo-Wilifried Tsonga and Gilles Simon, the Americans ran out winners in the Red Group tie with neither team capable of making it into the final with defending champions Sweden top of the table.
And world No. 7 Simon lost his third world cup match when he went down 7-5, 6-3 to Querrey before compatriot Tsonga gained revenge with a win over Robby Ginepri of the US before the doubles.
■AUSTRIAN OPEN
AP, KITZBUEHEL, AUSTRIA
Mikhail Youzhny of Russia beat second-seeded Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Austrian Open.
The 48th-ranked Russian will next play Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, who upset third-seeded Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-2, 6-2.
The seventh-seeded Youzhny, who reached the final of the BMW Open in Munich this month, dominated the game with solid ground strokes to keep the Austrian away from the net.
Youzhny lost his opening service game but faced no more break points afterward.
Garcia-Lopez reached his first semi-final since the Swiss Open in Gstaad in July. The Spaniard saved five of six break points while Hanescu struggled with his serve.
Also, Julien Benneteau of France reached his first semi-final of the season by beating Daniel Koellerer of Austria 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-0.
In the semi-finals, Benneteau plays Oscar Hernandez of Spain, who defeated Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-4, 6-4.
■STRASBOURG
AP, STRASBOURG, FRANCE
Ayumi Morita of Japan beat third-seeded Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals of the Strasbourg International on Thursday, meaning no seeded players remain in the clay-court tournament.
Both players struggled to hold their serve, with Morita breaking Peng four times in each set and losing her own serve five times overall.
Morita next plays Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, who advanced by beating Kristina Barrois of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (2) in a match halted by rain late in the second set.
Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine beat Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 7-5, 6-1.
Kutuzova will next play Aravane Rezai of France after she rallied to beat Romanian player Monica Niculescu 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a topsy-turvy match also interrupted by rain.
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