Russia take early lead in Davis Cup tie with Serbia

MOSCOW—Mikhail Youzhny gave Russia a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup World Group first round tie against Serbia on Friday defeating stand-in Nenad Zimonjic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles specialist Zimonjic was drafted in at the last minute to replace Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who was forced out with flu.
Zimonjic, who won the Australian mixed doubles crown this year along with China’s Sun Tiantian, started the match with an immediate break while Youzhny appeared to short on concentration.
The Russian, ranked eighth in the world, broke back immediately to level, but the 31-year-old veteran Zimonjic broke twice again for a one-set lead in 28 minutes.
In the second set Youzhny managed to put his game back in place and he broke early to take a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Zimonjic, who is a lowly 689th in the ATP rankings, fought tooth and nail but failed to save the set as Youzhny fought off four break points in the seventh game to level at 1-1.
Halfway into the third set Zimonjic, who has not played any competitive singles matches since last April, ran out of gas allowing Youzhny to break twice to put himself two sets to one ahead.
In the fourth Youzhny broke again in the fifth game and had no difficulty holding on to his advantage to finish off the rubber in two hours 32 minutes.
“When I heard that Djokovic would miss the opening rubber everybody thought I would win easily,” Youzhny said.
“But it wasn’t easy at all. I was too slow in the first set and made too many mistakes. Later on I found my nerve and felt much more confident.”
The second singles on Friday sees Russia’s world No.4 Nikolay Davydenko take on the little-known Victor Troicki.
Serb officials said they hoped Djokovic would be fit enough to play in Saturday’s doubles and the reverse singles on Sunday.—Agencies