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Thursday, April 4
 
Kafelnikov would like to win Davis Cup before retiring

Reuters

MOSCOW -- Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin lead a confident Russian side into this weekend's Davis Cup quarterfinal clash with Sweden, hoping to clinch the team's first Cup victory before Kafelnikov retires.

Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov would like his country to win a Davis Cup trophy before he retires.

Russia, which was a finalist twice in the 1990s and has yet to win a Cup title, said it's ready to take on the visiting Swedes and beat them for the first time.

"Becoming number one player in the world, and winning a Grand Slam are things I have already achieved," Kafelnikov said. "The only thing missing is to win the Davis Cup.

"You know, the Davis Cup is not an ordinary competition -- motivation, morale play the strongest role."

Kafelnikov, 28, has made no secret of his wish to secure a Davis Cup title before hanging up his racket.

"Conditions are ideal. The court is just as we would like to see it," the former French and Australian Open champion said.

Russia has selected Kafelnikov and former U.S. Open champion Safin to play the singles tie as well as the doubles.

Sweden has picked Australian Open winner Thomas Johansson and Thomas Enqvist to contest the singles matches, and Johansson to join Jonas Bjorkman for the doubles.

"I'm happy with the results of the draw because Johansson is playing first," Swedish captain Carl-Axel Hageskog said. "He then gets a lot of rest before the doubles.

"Clay is not our best surface, but playing indoors is a different story."

Enqvist, who won the Marseille Open for the third time in February, said Sweden would put up a tough fight against the home favorites.

"I think we have a good chance of winning. I'm not saying we're the favorites, but our players have beaten their players before," Enqvist told Reuters.

Sweden beat Russia 4-1 in last year's Davis Cup quarterfinal played on hardcourt in Malmo, Sweden. The Swedes, fourth on the ITF Davis Cup nations ranking, are two steps above their hosts.

The teams will meet on the red clay of Moscow's Luzhniki Sports Palace on April 5-7, kicking off with singles matches pitting Safin against Johansson and Kafelnikov against Enqvist. The doubles are played on Saturday, and reverse singles on Sunday.

The winning nation will play either Argentina or Croatia for a place in the 2002 Davis Cup Final.






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