The Hindu : Ecuador sweeps the Bahamas

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2002

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Sport - Tennis

Ecuador sweeps the Bahamas

GUAYAQUIL (Ecuador) July 15. Ecuador defeated the Bahamas 5-0 in the final match of Davis Cup's American Zone One play on Sunday.

Ecuador's Martin Stiegwardt beat the Bahamas' Devin Mullins 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 in 1 hour, 30 minutes on the clay courts of the Guayaquil Tennis Club to close the weekend series.

Ecuador handily won the tournament, dropping only one set to the Bahamas during three days of play.

Earlier, Ecuador's Carlos Avellan beat the Bahamas' Bjorn Munroe 6-1, 7-6 (6). With the win, Ecuador advances to American Zone elimination play in September to determine the Davis Cup World Group.

In Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the host took a 2-1 lead over Bulgaria on Sunday in their Euro/African Zone II second round playoffs.

Claude Ngoran and Valentin Sanon defeated Bulgaria's Todor Enev and Milen Velev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in their doubles match in Abidjan, taking the lead in the five-match tie. On Saturday, Sanon beat Bratanov and Bulgaria's Enev beat Ngoran. Play was postponed on Friday because of rain, and will continue on Monday.

In Accra, Ghana, Armenia got its first victory in a five-match tie against Ghana on Sunday, but the final score in the Euro/African Zone II second round playoffs was 4-1 to the West Africans.

Ghana had taken an unassailable 3-0 lead over Armenia on Saturday, after winning the first two singles games, and the doubles match.

Ghana's Kwasi Ahinkora defeated Armenia's Tsolak Gevorgyan 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6) in their reverse singles match on Sunday.

Armenian pride was soothed, however, when Harutyan Sotyan defeated Fred Agyiri in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

On Saturday, Ghana's Gunther Darkey and Henry Adjei-Darko defeated Gevorgyan and Sotyan in the doubles. In Friday's singles matches, Darkey beat Sotyan and Adjei-Darko beat Gevorgyan.

In Minsk, Belarus, the host lost the second reverse singles match on Sunday against Portugal, but still walked away with a comfortable 4-1 overall victory in their Euro/African Zone 1 second-round playoff tie.

Portugal's Helder Lopez gave his side its only win by defeating Alexander Skrypko, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier on Sunday, Alexander Shvetz of Belarus prevailed over Portugal's Leonardo Tavares, 6-2 and 7-6 in a best-of-three set match.

Tavares, who had shaved his head before the match for good luck, came alive in the second set, forcing Shvetz into a tiebreak. But the Belarusian refused to yield and took the set and the match.

Coming into Sunday's singles matches, Belarus already had an unassailable lead after winning Saturday's doubles match and Friday's opening singles matches in the five-match tie.

In Pretoria, South Africa, Hungary finally found form on the final day of its Euro/Africa zone Group 2 tie against South Africa on Sunday, winning the final two singles matches of the encounter.

But it was too late for the visitor to salvage anything more than pride as South Africa had already established an unassailable 3-0 lead after winning the first two singles matches on Friday and the doubles encounter on Saturday.

Hungary's No. 1, Gergely Kisgyorgy, won a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5) victory over South Africa No. 1 Wesley Moodie.

``I played a lot better today,'' Kisgyorgy said. ``The big difference is that my serve worked for me.''

Hungarian captain Gabor Koves made a change to his line-up and played Balasz Veress in place of Gabor Jaross in the second match against Rik de Voest.

The move paid off and Veress won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, leaving South Africa with a 3-2 win in the encounter.

``I've always said you need a bit of luck in Davis Cup. On Friday we had the luck and today it went to the Hungarians,'' South African captain Kevin Curren said.

In Cairo, Egypt, The host swept to a 5-0 Davis Cup tie win over Moldova on Sunday, winning the final two dead singles rubbers in stifling hot conditions.

In the second round of the Euro-African zone, Group II, Egypt's Mohammed Maamoun beat Moldova's Alexandru Andronachi 6-0, 6-2. Mohammed Ramadan Waffa made it a clean sweep for Egypt, beating Serghei Cuptov 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Egypt won Friday's first two singles games and Saturday's doubles encounter.

The results: Zonal Groups: Euro-African: Group 1: second round playoffs:

Minsk, Belarus: Belarus 4-Portugal 1: Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt Helder Lopes (Por) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4; Vladimir Voltchkov (Blr) bt Bernardo Mota (Por) 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; Vladimir Voltchkov/Max Mirnyi (Blr) bt Bernardo Mota/ Nuno Marques (Por) 6-3, 6-0, 6-3; Alexander Shvetz (Blr) bt Leonardo Tavares (Por) 6-2, 7-6 (4); Helder Lopez (Por) bt Alexander Skrypko (Blr) 6-2, 3-6, 4-6.

Group 2: second round: Havreholm, Denmark: Denmark 2-Norway 3: Kenneth Carlsen (Den) bt Stian Boretti (Nor) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1; Jan Frode Andersen (Nor) bt Jonathan Printzlau (Den) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Jan Frode Andersen/Helge Koll (Nor) bt Kenneth Carlsen/Thomas Andersen (Den) 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4, retd; Kenneth Carlsen (Den) bt Jan Frode Andersen (Nor) 6-4, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (5); Stian Boretti (Nor) bt Patrick Langvart (Den) 7-6 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Cairo, Egypt: Egypt 5-Moldova 0: Amr Ghoneim (Egy) bt Evghenii Plugariov (Mol) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0; Karim Maamoun (Egy) bt Andrei Gorban (Mol) 6-0, 6-4, 6-2; Karim Maamoun/Amr Ghoneim (Egy) bt Serghei Cuptov/Andrei Gorban (Mol) 6-0, 6-4, 6-2; Mohammed Maamoun (Egy) bt Alexandru Andronachi (Mol) 6-0, 6-2; Mohammed Ramadan Waffa (Egy) bt Serghei Cuptov (Mol) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Accra, Ghana: Ghana 4-Armenia 1: Henry Adjei-Darko (Ghn) bt Tsolak Gervorgan (Arm) 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3; Gunther Darkey (Ghn) bt Harutyan Sotyan (Arm) 7-6 (0), 6-0, 7-6 (3); Gunther Darkey/Henry Adjei-Darko (Ghn) bt Tsolak Gevorgyan/Harutyan Sotyan (Arm) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4;

Kwasi Ahinkora (Ghn) bt Tsolak Gevorgyan (Arm) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6); Harutyan Sotyan (Arm) bt Fred Agyiri (Ghn) 6-4, 6-3.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Ivory Coast 2-Bulgaria 1: Valentin Sanon (IvC) bt Ivo Bratanov (Bul) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (6); Todor Enev (Bul) bt Claude Ngoran (IvC) 3-6, 7-5, 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3; Claude Ngoran/Valentin Sanon (IvC) bt Todor Enev/Milen Velev (Bul) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Jurmala, Latvia: Latvia 1-Ukraine 4: Andrey Dernovskiy (Ukr) bt Andris Filimonovs (Ltv) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; Orest Tereshchuk (Ukr) bt Andis Juska (Ltv) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Sergei Yaroshenko/Orest Tereshchuk (Ukr) bt Andris Filimonovs/Andis Juska (Ltv) 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; Andis Jushka (Ltv) bt Andrei Dernovski (Ukr) 6-3, 3-1, retd; Sergei Jaroshenko (Ukr) bt Deniss Pavlov (Ltv) 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

Slzesch-Alzette, Luxembourg: Luxembourg 3-Yugoslavia 2: Gilles Muller (Lux) bt Nenad Zimonjic (Yug) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic (Yug) bt Mike Scheidweiler (Lux) 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6; Nenad Zimonjic/Vladimir Pavicevic (Yug) bt Gilles Muller/Mike Scheidweiler (Lux) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7); Mike Scheidweiler (Lux) bt Nenad Zimonjic (Yug) 6-3, 7-5, 6-3; Gilles Muller (Lux) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Yug) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Portoroz, Slovenia: Slovenia 1-Ireland 2: Marko Tkalec (Slo) bt John Doran (Ire) 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Peter Clarke (Ire) bt Iztok Bozic (Slo) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; John Doran/Peter Clarke (Ire) bt Marko Tkalec/Matija Zgaga (Slo) 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; Marko Tkalec (Slo) leads Peter Clarke (Ire) 6-4, 4-6, 2-0, postponed due to rain.

Pretoria, South Africa: South Africa 3-Hungary 2: Rik de Voest (RSA) bt Gergely Kisgyorgy (Hun) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3); Wesley Moodie (RSA) bt Gabor Jaross (Hun) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2;

John-Laffnie de Jager/Robbie Koenig (RSA) bt Gergely Kisgyorgy/Balasz Veress (Hun) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1; Gergely Kisgyorgy (Hun) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) 7-5, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5); Balasz Veress (Hun) bt Rik de Voest (RSA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

America Zone: Group 1: second round playoffs:

Guayaquil, Ecuador: Ecuador 5-Bahamas 0: Johnny de Leon (Ecu) bt Dentrey Mortimer (Bhm) 6-3, 6-1, 6-1; Luis Morejon (Ecu) bt Bjorn Munroe (Bhm) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0; Luis Morejon/Carlos Avellan (Ecu) bt Bjon Munroe/Devin Mullings (Bhm) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Carlos Avellan (Ecu) bt Bjorn Munroe (Bhm) 6-1, 7-6 (6); Martin Stiegwardt (Ecu) bt Devin Mullings (Bhm) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Queretaro, Mexico: Chile 3-Mexico 2: Nicolas Massu (Chl) bt Alejandro Hernandez (Mex) 6-3, 6-1, 6-0; Marcelo Rios (Chl) bt Marcelo Amador (Mex) 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2; Santiago Gonzalez/ Bruno Echagaray (Mex) bt Marcelo Rios/Nicolas Massu (Chl) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Alejandro Hernandez (Mex) bt Marcelo Rios (Chl) 7-6 (5), 3-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2; Nicolas Massu (Chl) bt Alejandro Hernandez (Mex) 6-3, 6-1, 6-0.

Group 2: Final:

Montevideo, Uruguay: Uruguay 1-Peru 4: Ivan Miranda (Per) bt Federico Dondo (Uru) 6-1, 6-3, 6-0; Luis Horna (Per) bt Martin Villarubi (Uru) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1; Marcel Felder/Martin Vilarrubi (Uru) bt Luis Horna/Ivan Miranda (Per) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Luis Horna (Per) bt Pablo Bianchi (Uru) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; Luis Noriega (Per) bt Marcel Felder (Uru) 6-1, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5). — AP

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