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Davis Cup: Federer out to prove point
Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has said his lack of success in the Davis Cup at Melbourne Park should not be viewed as a detriment.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 08:48 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Melbourne:
Wimbledon champion Roger Federer of Switzerland said today his lack of success at Melbourne Park should not be viewed as a detriment ahead of next weekend's Davis Cup tennis semifinal against Australia. Federer and the Swiss team arrived this week to acclimatise to conditions, time zones and to get some practice on Melbourne Park's Rebound Ace surface. The semifinal is scheduled for September 19 to 21, with the winner to play the Spain-Argentina semifinal winner in the final in late November. Federer has not advanced past the fourth round of the Australian Open in four attempts, losing five-setters for the past two years against Tommy Haas and David Nalbandian. "I have played a few OK matches here, but I never made that big breakthrough like I did in Wimbledon," Federer said today. "I actually enjoy playing on Rebound Ace. I've missed my opportunities but I can play well on this surface." Different styles Australia's hopes are with Lleyton Hewitt, whose on-court demeanor is in direct contrast to the laid-back Federer. "He's more noisy than I am, that's for sure," Federer said. "We're two different characters on the court but I show more emotion in Davis Cup than I do in other events. When you are playing Wimbledon, it's fantastic, but you can reach the same emotion if you play well in Davis Cup." The other Swiss singles player is likely to be Michael Kratochvil, who said Friday his team's underdog status did not concern him. Captain Marc Rosset said the decision on the doubles combination has not been made, but Federer could be partnered by either George Bastl or even Rosset himself, who played in the quarterfinals. Australian captain John Fitzgerald said his doubles combination was also undecided, with the length of the opening singles matches Friday likely to be a factor in the decision. Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis have played several tournaments together this year without winning, while doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge could partner Wayne Arthurs, Fitzgerald said. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
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