Israel takes on Russia in Davis Cup Tennis

It is not too often that sports articles are published on the pages of Israel Situation. This weekend, however, sees an important and interesting David Cup tennis tie between Israel and Russia. The competition, which takes place over three days, will be played in Israel for the first time on an indoor court. The indoor court has been constructed at the Nokia Arena at Yad Eliyahu in Tel Aviv, home of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team.

The teams are competing for a place in the semifinal round of the Davis Cup. This is only the second time that the Israeli team has made it to the quarter final round. The last time was in 1987 when Israel was well beaten by India. The Russian team is clear the favourite to win the tie. Russia is one of the most successful Davis Cup teams in recent years. It won the competition in 2006 and reached at least the semifinal round in each of the last 4 years.

A great deal of pressure rests on the shoulders of Israel’s number one player, Dudi Sela. He is currently ranked number 33 in the world, a career best, after reaching the 4th round in the recent Wimbledon tournament. Sela will need to win both of his matches if Israel is to stand any hope of winning the tie.