Byzantine Blog

Davis Cup World Group Playoffs, Belgrade

This weekend Serbian capital hosts the Davis Cup World Group playoffs between the tennis nation second only to the USA in the number of Davis Cup titles won — Australia (the Aussies have won 28 to the Americans’ 31 Davis Cup titles) — and Serbia, which is hoping to enter the elite 16-nation World Group for the first time as an independent state.

“Davis Cup is very important,” said top Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after the U.S. Open. “After 15, 20 years, we’ve got a chance to get to the World Group. We all know how good Australia is in the Davis Cup, how good their history is, and of course Lleyton [Hewitt, former world number one] is coming, which is going to make it more difficult for us. But it’s going to be a lot of people, a lot of support. Support is one of the things which is most important in the Davis Cup because Davis Cup is very unique, it’s different, it’s unpredictable, anything can happen. It’s a matter of motivation really. But, above all, I’m really happy that tennis fans back home will have an opportunity to see me and the rest of the guys, and Hewitt.”

Novak’s Special Guests: Kosovo-Metohija Children

The support is indeed overwhelming, with the Belgrade Arena fully packed with close to 20,000 sports fans which, according to the reports, is the third largest crowd in the over one-hundred-years long Davis Cup history. Among the most fervent Novak’s supporters, cheering him and other Serbian players on this weekend, are fifty children from southern Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija Djokovic’s family is hosting.

“After a truly spectacular entry into the modern and fully packed Beogradska Arena ahead of the match where the adoring crowds gave Djokovic a long standing ovation, the home support was evident throughout, brightened also by the presence of Serbia’s president Boris Tadic and several other politicians and sport celebrities. From brass and drum bands to the loud cheer of fifty children from Kosovo that Djokovic’s family is hosting this weekend, the show in the stands was complete, directed at times by Djokovic’s father himself,” reports the official Davis Cup web site.

Inspired Novak and Untiring Hewitt

Inspired Novak struck the first blow for Serbia, blazing to a straight-sets victory over Peter Luczak in Friday’s opening singles rubber. According to the Australian news agency, the world No.3 “could scarcely have been more impressive [...] unveiling his full bag of tricks to bury Luczak into the Belgrade clay with a 6-1 6-4 6-2 triumph in two hours and 24 minutes at the Beogradska Arena.”

Lleyton Hewitt led Australia up to a tie, winning a grueling five-setter against Janko Tipsarevic. According to the Belgrade press, Hewitt afterwards praised both Janko and the fans, commenting that the Serb “couldn’t wear me out even after such a long match” (an epic three hours and 28 minutes ordeal), to which painfully honest Janko responded that he wasn’t exactly trying to tire the Aussie, but to defeat him, adding that Hewitt is “the best fighter in the world. He is the toughest.”

Serbia—Australia: 2—1

But after today’s “magical four-set win” in doubles, when Djokovic and Nenad Zimonjic triumphed over Hewitt and Paul Hanley, Serbia leads 2-1 and needs one more victory to get into the next year’s World Group, consisting of elite 16 out of over 130 nations. The fact Novak and Nenad have played together only for the sixth time today, against the experienced and exceptionally well-coordinated Australian pair — the most important quality in the doubles matches — made today’s coup even more spectacular. Both Serbian players credited the magnificent crowd in the Belgrade Arena for carrying them through each point on the exhilarating waves of high energy (RTS footage, in Serbian).

On Sunday, Novak will face Australia’s No.1 Lleyton Hewitt, while Janko Tipsarevic plays against Peter Luczak for the decisive point... or two (after Serbian victory today, Australians would have to win both matches to qualify for the World Group).

World’s Top Eight Tennis Players Cast as Terracotta Warriors

Meanwhile, the ATP — governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit — has commissioned a sculptor to create Terracotta Warriors of the best eight tennis players in the world to mark the Tennis Masters Cup, the last tournament of the season held in Shanghai, China, from November 11-18.

The life-size statues are being created by the French sculptor Laury Dizengremel in China (YouTube clip), and will be unveiled all together as a group at the opening ceremony for the event in Shanghai on November 11.

A Swiss, Spaniard and a Serb (world No.1 Roger Federer, No.2 Rafael Nadal and No.3 Novak Djokovic) have already qualified for both the tournament and their warrior statues, while the remaining five players will be determined in the upcoming days and weeks.

Beijing: Jelena Jankovic Storms to the China Open Final

Just around the corner from the new terracotta warrior statues, world No.3 on the WTA list, Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic has defeated the American three-time grand slam winner Lindsay Davenport, securing her place in the finals of the China Open. On Sunday, Jelena will play for her fifth title of the season against the winner of the match between Hungarian sixth seed Agnes Szavay and China’s Peng Shuai.