The symbolism of the doubles match point was appropriate. Canadian Daniel
Nestor drilled a low forehand service return and Brazilian Andre Sa couldn't
control it, missing a backhand volley into the net.
Canada's pair of Nestor and Frederic Niemeyer defeated Sa and Gustavo
Kuerten 63 62 16 62 to take a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup by Paribas World
Group Play-off tie being held on a fast indoor surface in the western
Canadian city of Calgary. Nestor, No. 5 in the ATP doubles rankings, was the
dominant presence on court. Whenever Sa or Kuerten had to serve to him,
especially second serves, it was almost possible to feel their trepidation.
That particularly applied to Sa who had his serve broken five times in the
match. Kuerten was able to hold in each of his eight service games."Sa was
definitely the weaker server,"Nestor said, "especially on his second serve.
It barely gets over the net. He cracked a little bit on his second serve."
Leading 4-3 in the opening set, the Canadians got the service break they
needed when a low Nestor return forced a volley error from Sa. In the second
set, the Canadians broke Sa in the third game, on a beautiful topspin lob by
Nestor, and again in the seventh game.
The Brazilians took control quickly in the third set, breaking Nestor in the
second and sixth games. But Nestor's uncanny racket-work again surfaced in
the fourth set when the Canadians broke Sa's serve in the fourth game.
Nestor delivered the coup de grace with a beautiful lob volley over Kuerten
that Sa reached only to misfire when he attempted an overhead smash.
Niemeyer, who was shaky in a four-set singles loss to Flavio Saretta on
Friday, was up to the task playing alongside Nestor on Saturday. "I watched
Daniel [defeat Kuerten in a five-set thriller] after I played and thought,
"Oh boy, I don't want to look like a beginner," Niemeyer said. "So I had
to pick up my game."
With the victory, Nestor (15-14 in singles and 14-3 in doubles) has
surpassed his former doubles partner Sebastien Lareau for the total number
of Davis Cup victories (29) by a Canadian. "It means a lot,"Nestor said
about feat. "Representing my country is important and I always seem to
play my best. I just hope we can get one more win."He is scheduled to play
Saretta in Sunday" fifth match while Niemeyer is slated to meet Kuerten in
the opener.
There is speculation that Canadian captain Grant Connell will substitute
Simon Larose, who upset Kuerten at the Tennis Masters Canada tournament in
Montreal in early August, for Niemeyer.
Kuerten said he hopes that his team can turn the momentum their way on
Sunday the same way Canada has since dropping the opening match on Friday.
Asked about his hip, which was operated on in February 2002, Kuerten replied
somewhat philosophically. "That's me,"he said. "I have what I've got and I
have to play like this. Tomorrow, I hope to use the best that I have right
now."
Asked what the Brazilians would do Saturday night, Kuerten joked, "we'll go
back to Brazil and come back here tomorrow full of energy. When you sleep,
you can dream you are there."
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