DEN BOSCH, Netherlands – Tommy Haas has
been left out of the German Davis Cup team for this weekend's
quarterfinal against the Netherlands.
Haas, who has lost just one of his 12 Davis Cup singles
matches, is still suffering from a left ankle sprain he picked
up at the Ericsson Open in Miami last week.
Haas was replaced by David Prinosil in the team named by
captain Carl-Uwe Steeb.
"Tommy needs another two to three days to get back to top
shape and that's why we kept him out of the tie," said Steeb,
who waited until shortly before Thursday's draw to make a final
decision.
Prinosil and Nicolas Kiefer will play singles in the tie
from Friday on a fast indoor hardcourt in the Dutch city of Den
Bosch.
Kiefer will play left-hander Jan Siemerink in Friday's
opening singles match and Prinosil will then take on Raemon
Sluiter.
Dutch team captain Tjerk Bogtstra had his own selection
headaches as Sjeng Schalken was still complaining from the foot
injury he aggravated on the hardcourts of Indian Wells and
Miami.
Bogtstra has picked Schalken for Saturday's doubles, in
which he will team up with Paul Haarhuis to face the German pair
of Prinosil and Jens Knippschild.
Sluiter is scheduled to play Kiefer in the first of Sunday's
reverse singles with Siemerink then meeting Prinosil.
The Dutch captain, aware that Prinosil has fared well on
quick surfaces this season, said he did not feel Germany would
be any weaker without Haas.
"As I said before on a fast court like this Prinosil is just
as good as Haas," said Bogtstra.
The Netherlands trounced defending champions Spain 4-1 in
the opening round last February but their hopes of a first
victory over Germany suffered a blow when former Wimbledon
champion Richard Krajicek had to pull out with an elbow injury.
Germany, three-times Davis Cup champions, have won all their
six previous encounters with the Netherlands but they failed to
impress when they struggled past Romania 3-2 in the first round.
"On paper the Germans are stronger," said Siemerink.
"But I don't think we're without a chance. We want to go
futher than the quarterfinals."
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
|
ALSO SEE
Germany captain still hopes injured Haas can play
|
