Battle for Davis Cup places intensifies

The battle is intensifying for a place on Australia’s Davis Cup team for the critical tie against Belgium in Cairns in September.

Victory over Belgium in the Davis Cup World Group tie would return Australia to the top 16 nations in the world for next year’s competition.

The final team does not have to be named until mid-September, but already a strong group of contenders is emerging.

“There are places available,” Davis Cup coach Todd Woodbridge explained. “This is the perfect opportunity for one of our guys to step up during the US hard court season and earn a place in the squad or even on the team.”

The latest contender to put their hand up for selection is big-serving Carsten Ball who won his first ATP Challenger title at Lexington in Kentucky yesterday.

Ball, who filled the second singles spot in Australia’s last tie against Japan in Brisbane in May, came back from 4-1 down in the second set to beat American Jesse Levine 6-4 7-6(2) in the final. He has lifted his world ranking to 108.

Of course the leading contender for a singles spot is former World No.1 Lleyton Hewitt who is expected to be stepping up his US Open Series campaign on the hard courts of Washington early next month.

Australia’s second highest ranked player, Melbourne’s Peter Luczak, is fresh from a quarterfinal appearance in Poland last week and will play the Allianz Swiss Open in Gstaad this week with a first round assignment against German Daniel Brands.

His big-serving Melbourne mate Chris Guccione is slowly working his way back from a bad leg injury and won a qualifying match against talented young American Ryan Harrison overnight. Guccione is one more win away from qualifying for the main draw of the LA Tennis Open.

Guccione is not alone in the LA qualifying, with the talented Nick Lindahl also enjoying a return to the hard courts of the United States and just one win away from the main draw.

Meanwhile Marinko Matosevic also played himself into form this month, winning an ATP Challenger event in California a fortnight ago.

Matt Ebden and Greg Jones are also playing various events across the United States to press their selection claims.

After winning his way through qualifying at Wimbledon, where he lost in four sets to Mardy Fish in the first round, Bernard Tomic has been training at home on the Gold Coast in preparation for a trip to the United States next month where he will no doubt be hoping to press his claims for a second Davis Cup team berth.

Davis Cup - World Group Play-off

Australia vs Belgium
Cairns Regional Tennis Centre
Friday 17–Sunday 19, September 2010

Tickets for the Australia vs Belgium tie go on sale on August 6. Three day series packages are available for $94.90 (adults), $73.90 (concession) and $24.90 (children aged 3-16). Single session tickets are $34.90 (adults), $27.90 (concession) and $9.90 (children).

Tickets are available by phoning Ticketek on 132 849, through www.ticketek.com.au or at the local Ticketek agency.

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