(22/05/2001)
Germany and Australia Win On Monday
Tommy Haas defeated Magnus Norman and Lleyton Hewitt lost to Alex Corretja on the second day at Dusseldorf.
The second day of the ARAG ATP World Team Championship saw the first matches of the Blue Group with Australia playing Spain and Sweden meeting Germany.
Tommy Haas showed a strong performance against Magnus Norman and ousted the Swede 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 6-4 to give Germany a 1-0 lead. It was Thomas Enqvist's turn to overcome Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-3.
The deciding point was taken by Germany's Haas and David Prinosil against Swedes Jonas Bjorkman and Niklas Kulti 6-4, 6-3. Bjorkman won the doubles final at the Tennis Masters Series Hamburg with Todd Woodbridge just 24 hours before.
Australia and Spain also needed a doubles win for the deciding point on Center Court 2 of the Dusseldorf Rochusclub. Alex Corretja struggled and sieged against New Balls Please star Lleyton Hewitt 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Corretja's countryman Juan Balcells had no chance against Patrick Rafter and lost 3-6, 2-6. With all four players joining the doubles decider, Hewitt and Rafter took the second point with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 win over Corretja and Balcells.
Spain's TMS Roma champions and Hamburg finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero had to withdraw from the World Team Championship with severe muscle strain in both groins on Monday.
Australia leads the Blue Group now, followed by Germany, Sweden and Spain.
(21/05/2001)
Pat joins World Team Cup; Dusseldorf
The teams in the red group of the ARAG World Team Cup are Russia, France, USA and Argentina. In the blue group are Australia, Spain, Sweden and Germany.
Sunday's Results:
{Round Red Group}
USA-Argentina: 2-1
Pete Sampras d. Franco Squillari 4-6 6-3 7-6(1)
Mariano Puerta d. Jan-Michael Gambill 7-6 6-3
Gambill/Roddick d. Arnold/García 6-3 6-4
Russia-France: 0-3
Arnaud Clement d. Marat Safin 7-6(6) 6-3
Sebastien Grosjean d. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-0 6-3
Clement/Grosjean d. Safin/Kafelnikov 2-6 6-4 6-3
Monday's Schedule of Play:
{Round Blue Group}
Germany - Sweden (Center Court I, 12:00 hrs)
Tommy Haas - Magnus Norman
Nicolas Kiefer - Thomas Enqvist
Followed by Doubles
Australia - Spain (Center Court II, 13:00 hrs)
Lleyton Hewitt - Alex Corretja
Patrick Rafter - Juan Balcells
Followed by Doubles
(10/05/2001)
Rafter Withdraws from Hamburg
Patrick Rafter will miss next week's Tennis Masters Series Hamburg due to a right elbow injury. The two-time US Open champion is expected to return for the World Team Championships, which begins May 20 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
