The Swedish Davis Cup team suffered a stunning defeat from the visiting Israeli team last weekend in a closely fought series 3-2.
There was certainly no home court advantage for the Swedish team despite the fact that the rubber was staged in Malmo, Sweden. This highly-publicized match was played in a near empty stadium under tight security.
The fifth and deciding rubber could have been an exciting match to watch. Israeli player Harel Levy defeated Andreas Vinciguerra in five tight sets (6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6) to secure the team’s berth in the quarterfinals.
The three-day series was conducted under tight security and about 400 individuals (media reps, sponsors, guests) were allowed to get in the Baltic Hall to watch.
There was a reversal of fate in this tie since the Israelis lost to the Swedes in the first round last year in Tel Aviv. This marked as the Israeli team’s second trip to the Davis Cup quarterfinals. They first achieved the feat in 1987. The Swedish team is a 7-time Davis Cup champion.
Israel will have another tough tie this coming July. In order to reach the semifinals for the first time, the team must defeat the Russian team which progressed to the final eight after defeating Romania (4-1).
