Serbia looks to develop its tennis history
Date published :
08 Mar 2010 - 10:22:32
Serbia looks to develop its tennis historyIt’s a very small nation, but the Balkan country of Serbia is celebrating loudly after beating USA 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for the very first time. To achieve such a result over a nation that has won the trophy 32 times just adds to the pride that has been felt in Belgrade and around Serbia.This was a first time meeting between the two countries and the venue, the 20,000 seat Beogradska Arena, created an atmosphere that was very special and one that is all but unique to Davis Cup.Of course I am very excited and also to be winning our first round tie for the first time,” Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic said.We are in the quarterfinals and we are ready for the Croats. I want first to congratulate my team and all my squad because we play very good tennis in the last three days.”Although the final score against USA read 3-2 in Serbia's favour, the tie was decided in the first reverse singles when Novak Djokovic defeated John Isner, winning the match 75 36 63 67 64 on his sixth match point and after 4 hours, 16 minutes on court.Every match you win for your country, play for your country, is a very special one,” Djokovic said. That’s how I am accepting it and every time I play for my country I am very excited about it because this is the only team competition we are able to participate in.When you have this opportunity to play for your country and feel the team spirit, it’s something you cannot describe with words.”The victory is a monumental one for the country as it works on creating a new legacy and developing a history for tennis in Serbia. There are quite a few juniors that are starting to make a breakthrough and with that, such a result will be vitally important. It is something that will instil in the youngsters of the nation even more pride and motivation.I am happy all my players want to play Davis Cup and I expect a lot from them as well,” Obradovic said. In the quarterfinals, Serbia will travel to neighbouring Croatia, which will be another difficult task. Both sides know the respective players very, very well and there will be no secrets out there. It will make for an incredibly close contest.That tie will be straight after Wimbledon in July and Obradovic says that he has already started some dialogue with his team. We will have and need a huge team to travel there so there is much to be organised,” the Serbian captain said. It will be tough but all my players are ready. We will see what surface they choose but I just want my players to play good and I will travel with them to some tournaments before as we make a plan to prepare for Davis Cup.”Djokovic added that the guys in his team will take it one tournament at a time leading up to the quarters, so they can be fresh for the tie in an effort to put up their best showing.Patrick McEnroe had the final word as a neutral observer. Serbia is a versatile team that can play well on all surfaces. Obviously the home team has a bit of an advantage, but I think Serbia has a good chance in that match," the American captain predicted.Related links> Twitter> Tie information> Audio interviews> Scorecards & stats> Serbia secures first ever quarterfinal spot> Americans fight back in Belgrade> Serbia takes step closer to quarterfinals> Troicki faces rookie Isner in openerRelated website> United States Tennis Association
