Safin puts Russia through
MOSCOW: Marat Safin guided Russia through to the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup yesterday with a tough five-set win over Chile's Fernando Gonzalez.
The Australian Open champion outlasted Olympic bronze medallist Gonzalez 7-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-7, 6-4 in just over three-and-a-half hours to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Nikolay Davydenko, a replacement for Mikhail Youzhny, later beat Paul Capdeville, himself a replacement for Adrian Garcia, 6-2, 6-1 in the dead rubber for a 4-1 Russian victory.
Russia will meet either France or Sweden in the next round.
Chile will need to compete in September's play-offs to retain their place among the elite nations for 2006.
Despite his decisive victory, Safin was far from happy with his performance.
“It was the worst match of my life,” the brooding Russian said. “If my serve had been any worse, I would have lost ... I did not expect Gonzalez to play so good.”
Safin said the fast surface, specially laid by the Russians to put the slow court-loving Chileans at a disadvantage, had caused problems for the hosts.
“I think it was not the best decision to choose this surface,” he said.
"The most important thing in the match was to hold the serve. It was clear that the one who would be more confident on his serve, would win the match.''
In Switzerland, world number one Roger Federer's decision to skip the Davis Cup first round came back to haunt them yesterday when they were beaten by Holland in their World Group clash.
Federer opted not to play in the first round in 2005 citing crucial back-to-back Masters events in the United States on which he wanted to concentrate.
Trailing 2-1 overnight, it was left to Dutch veteran Sjeng Schalken to give his side an unassailable 3-1 lead and a place in the quarter-finals but at least Swiss teenager Stanislas Wawrinka can take credit from the way he played.
The former French Open junior champion could even consider himself unlucky to have lost the rubber after he had led 4-1 in the final set.
But Schalken's greater experience told when he pulled off a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 win to put his side into the last eight where they will face Slovakia, who put out holders Spain, in July for a place in the semi-finals. – Agencies
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