MALMO, Sweden – Sweden booked a place in
the Davis Cup semifinals on Saturday by taking an unassailable
3-0 lead over Russia after the doubles.
Top-ranked doubles player Jonas Bjorkman partnered Davis Cup
novice Simon Aspelin to beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei
Olhovskiy 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2 in a three-hour 20-minute
thriller.
"We did everything right but it wasn't enough," Kafelnikov
said afterwards.
The Russian pair survived two match points in the fourth set
with Sweden leading 5-4 and Bjorkman serving.
On the second match point Bjorkman volleyed into the net.
"It was a tough volley but I think I should have made it. I
was incredibly angry with myself, very disappointed," Bjorkman
said.
He raised his game considerably in the fifth set, serving
better and passing the Russians with stinging service returns
and superb volleys and drop shots.
The Swedes broke Kafelnikov's serve for a 4-2 lead in the
final set and never looked back.
"This afternoon was the best I've ever experienced," said
Aspelin, a 26-year-old who came out of nowhere to reach the
semifinals in the ATP World Doubles Championships in Bangalore
last December and was called to join the Swedish squad when
Bjorkman's regular Davis Cup doubles partner Nicklas Kulti was
forced out with a sore foot.
The victory -- the foundation laid by Thomas Johansson and
Magnus Norman who won the two opening singles on Friday, puts
Sweden into the Davis Cup semifinals for the 23rd time since
1946.
Russia were missing U.S. Open champion Marat Safin, the
world number one in the ATP Entry System rankings, due to
injury.
"I'm a bit disappointed myself. I felt that this year we had
probably the best chance to win the Davis Cup but unfortunately
it didn't happen and it looks like it never will," said
Kafelnikov, who will not play in Sunday's reverse singles.
Seven-times Davis Cup winners Sweden will meet Brazil or
Australia in the semifinals in September.
For Sweden the semifinals tie will be away regardless of
opponent.
"I have never been to Brazil but it would also be nice to
play Australia," Swedish team captain Carl-Axel Hageskog said.
Norman, who is at his best on clay, said he'd prefer to take
on Brazil and would relish a Davis Cup battle against their star
player Gustavo Kuerten, another clay court specialist.
Johansson, who is more at home on faster hardcourt surfaces,
said he would rather Sweden played Australia.
Bjorkman said he favoured Brazil because of its geographical
location in time zones close to those of the United States where
most of the Swedes will be playing ATP tournaments in the run-up
to the Davis Cup clash for a place in the finals.
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