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 Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |  Photographer: Marcelo Ruschel
Date: 17 Sep 2009 |
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| 17 Sep 2009 - Ginasio Gigantinho, Porto Alegre - Diana Gabanyi | |
| Last match for Lapentti? |
Brazil’s number one player, Marcos Daniel, will open play on Friday against Ecuador’s Giovanni Lapentti, in the Gigantinho (Little Giant) Stadium in Porto Alegre, carrying the hopes to take the country back to the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group.
The last time Brazil was in the World Group was in 2003, Ecuador, was in the year 2000. After Daniel, Brazil’s No. 2, Thomaz Bellucci, who recently won his first ATP title in Gstaad will take on experienced Nicolas Lapentti.
Having already played 36 ties for Ecuador, Lapentti revealed that this perhaps is the most important one of his career. Depending on the result, he might call it quits or keep playing tennis.
The full draw is as follows:
Friday
Marcos Daniel (BRA) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Saturday
Marcelo Melo/Andre Sa (BRA) v Giovanni Lapentti/Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Sunday
Marcos Daniel (BRA) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) v Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)
This is the third time Brazil and Ecuador face each other in a Play-off. The first one was in 1983 and Ecuador, when Andres Gomez, who is in Porto Alegre to support his country, won and the second one was in 1987, when Brazil beat Ecuador.
Local boy Daniel hopes to impress
Born near Porto Alegre, Daniel expects a full stadium, in a place he used to visit a lot. Gigantinho is a stadium in the famous Internacional de Porto Alegre complex, hosting Daniel’s soccer team. The Brazilian Tennis Federation built a clay court inside the Gigantinho Stadium, just for the event, expecting 8.000 people, everyday.
“I am very happy to play here, specially on this stadium that is from my team. All my friends are here, it is a big atmosphere. We try to relax, the stadium is probably going to be full, and I hope to play well. We worked hard during the week and I hadn’t practiced this much in a very long time,” said Daniel, who is in the best moment of his career and is ranked No. 57, but who lost the previous meetings with Giovanni, back in 2004.
Brazilian Davis Cup captain, Francisco Costa, a Porto Alegre native, and an ex-tour player himself, is waiting for a long and tough weekend.
“We expect five difficult matches. Our opponents are very experienced, but we hope to win in the end. Our players are well prepared and we have a chance, finally, to play a Play-off at home.”
Brazil and Ecuador seeking World Group place
Since the last time Brazil played in the World Group, in 2003, losing a tough Play-Off, to Canada in Calgary, the country has gone to the Americas Zone Group II, after Gustavo Kuerten led a boycott to change the administration of the Brazilian National Federation. The country returned to Group in 2005 and since then has played the Play-offs every year, losing in 2006 at home to Sweden, in 2007 to Austria in Innsbruck and last year, to Croatia in Zadar.
For Ecuador, this tie is also important. The last time they played in the World Group was in the year 2000, after a historic win over the British, at Wimbledon.
Led by the Lapentti’s brothers, Nicolas and Giovanni, they have won their last five ties, beginning in February last year, to take the country back from the Americas Zone Group 2 to Group 1 and now having the chance to go back to the World Group.
Viver familiar with Porto Alegre
“We have very high hopes for this tie. We have been working hard towards our goal to come back to the World Group after a few years. We are very motivated, we really want to win this tie, but we know it is going to be a tough assignment,” said Ecuador’s Captain, Raul Viver, who has played in Porto Alegre before and knows how importante tennis is for the State.
“Porto Alegre is a city with a lot of tennis tradition in Brazil. I remember when Thomaz Koch was the star of Brazilian tennis 30, 40 years ago. The stadium is beautiful. The court is slow, but we expected that. It is going to be a great weekend of tennis.”
Thomaz Koch is one of the players of Davis Cup by BNP Paribas with most ties participations, having played 44 of them.
Lapentti to hang up racket?
Nicolas Lapentti, a hero in Ecuador, will be playing his 37th tie and said, that depending on the result, he will keep playing for his country, or call its quit.
“As a team it is a goal we put together last year. We try to win the group and now we try to go to the World Group. For me specially is going to be the most important tie. Depending on this result, I am gonna know what my future is going to be like. If we go to the World Group next year, it will be an extra motivation to keep playing tennis.”
Related Links on other websites
> Information from Brazil - CBT
> Info en espanol- FET
Related Links on Daviscup.com
> Tie Information
> Scorecards and statistics from the tie
> Audio interviews from the tie
Related Audio
 Interview with Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) - draw day
Interview with Ecuadorian captain Raul Viver- draw day
Interview with Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) - draw day
Interview with Marcos Daniel (BRA) - draw day
Interview with Brazilian captain Francisco Costa- draw day
 
If you cannot hear the audio, then please update your media player by following one of the links above.
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