A quartet of Serbian ATP stars proved once again why their country is now a global tennis powerhouse after winning the ARAG ATP World Team Championship in their first attempt, beating four-time champ and host country Germany 2-1.
The Serbian team, composed of Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki, Arsenije Zlatanovic and Nenad Zimonjic, won 9 of their 12 matches this week to emerge as the champion in this eight-team claycourt tournament. Other participants were Italy, Argentina, France, Russia, United States and defending champion Sweden.
Tipsarevic and Troicki sealed the team’s victory after winning their respective singles matches. Tipsarevic defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4 while Troicki beat Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-6. The German duo of Mischa Zverev and Nicolas Kiefer prevented an all-Serbian sweep by beating Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic 7-5, 4-6, 10-7 on the doubles rubber.
Serbia became the second country after Yugoslavia (1990) to have won the World Team Cup on first attempt throughout the tournament’s 32-year run.
“I think it is going to be huge and this is respect because Djokovic was not here. And I think we showed that we are a big tennis nation also if Novak is not here with us ” said Tipsarevic, referring to the world’s fourth-ranked player and compatriot.
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Check out the tournament’s website HERE.
