Djokovic-Pospisil clash kicks off Davis Cup semis
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, September 13, 2013
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Serbia's Novak Djokovic (left) and Canada's Vasek Pospisil shake hands after the draw for their Davis Cup semifinals in Belgrade yesterday. The semifinals will kick off today. |
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will open the Davis Cup semifinals against Vasek Pospisil today when Serbia takes on Canada.
In the other singles match drawn yesterday, Janko Tipsarevic will face Milos Raonic, Canada's top player. The doubles will be played tomorrow and reverse singles are on Sunday.
Djokovic said he hopes to recover from the change of the time zones and jet leg after losing the US Open final to Rafael Nadal on Monday.
"I arrived yesterday, but it's not the first time that I have one or two days to get ready," said Djokovic, who lost in four sets in New York. "I know my body, and I hope I can prepare for the opening match."
Making things even more difficult for the 26-year-old Serb is the choice of an indoor claycourt — originally picked by the hosts to dampen Raonic's booming serve — that he will have to adjust to in the middle of the hardcourt season. "It's obvious that I'm tired, time zones, jet leg, plus adjustment to the clay, but I feel fine and have a lot of motivation playing for my country," Djokovic said.
The 23-year-old Pospisil, ranked 41st in the world, has never played Djokovic before.
"I have seen him play on TV lots of times, but it's going to be completely different on the court," Pospisil said. "I hope to learn as the match progresses."
Canada has never made it this far in the Davis Cup, while Serbia won the event in 2010.
Raonic said Serbia is the favorite, "but that doesn't mean we don't have our chances".
The towering Canadian, who has climbed in the rankings and is currently 11th, said he has made progress in his claycourt play. "I'm now playing better on clay, and I feel very confident now on the surface."
The winner will face either the Czech Republic or Argentina in the final in November.
And with his confidence boosted by a US Open doubles title, Radek Stepanek will play the opening singles for the defending champions Czechs against Juan Monaco of Argentina.
For the 34-year-old veteran who recently won his second grand slam doubles title, it is his first singles match in the Davis Cup this year.
Stepanek is a key player on the Czech team but missed the first-round victory in Switzerland because of a neck operation and was able to play only the doubles in the 3-1 quarterfinal win in Kazakhstan.
Stepanek and Berdych played all five matches in last year's final in Prague, beating Spain 3-2 with Stepanek clinching the country's first title as an independent nation with victory over Nicolas Almagro in the last reverse singles.
"I'm ready for the match," Stepanek said yesterday.
Stepanek is 4-2 against Monaco, who is the highest ranked Argentine at No. 30. "He's great at the baseline. I will try to use the surface and my game to eliminate his game," Stepanek said.
With Juan Martin del Potro out for Argentina, the draw also pits No. 5-ranked Tomas Berdych against Leonardo Mayer. In tomorrow's doubles, the Czech pair of Lukas Rosol and Jiri Vesely will face Carlos Berlocq and Horacio Zeballos.
"Leo's in very good shape," Argentina captain Martin Jaite said. "He's our best option."
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