Israel's Andi Ram, left, and Jonathan Erlich celebrate a point against Russia's Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn during the doubles Davis Cup World Group quarter-final tennis match between Israel and Russia in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, July 11, 2009. AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
It is one of the biggest sporting stories of 2009. Unfancied Israel making it to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup for the first time. To put it in perspective, even if Israel had been knocked out in the opening round of the World Group, it would have been a big achievement.
The fact that it has won two ties and is now in the final four is nothing short of miraculous.
Israel will be the first to admit that the draw has done them two great favours.
Firstly, it was drawn to play Sweden when the Swedes’ stocks were badly depleted. Both Thomas Johansson or Andreas Vinciguerra were recovering from injuries and didn’t have a lot of recent matches under their belts.
This was a close tie, with four of the five rubbers going to five sets. Three of those five went past 6-6, and this caught up with the badly stretched Swedes.
Although Israel was hosting Russia in the quarter-final, no one expected it to trouble the visitors. After all, Russia has won the title twice since 2002 and finished runners-up in 2007.
What happened next was astonishing.
Israel won both of the opening singles ties and was up two sets to love in the doubles. Russia showed some resistance in taking out the next two, but Israel would go on to win in five.
If Germany had defeated Spain, the Israelis would be hosting the Germans in the semi-final.
In-front of a partisan crowd against a line-up of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Andreas Beck, Rainer Schuettler and Nicolas Kiefer, who would rule them out?
Instead, they have to travel to Spain to take on the likes of Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal.
They will be lucky if they win a set.
None of this would be good news for Tennis Australia. A country such as Israel is in the semi-finals while they are languishing in Group I of Asia/Oceania. India is playing South Africa for a spot in next year’s World Group, which is what Australia should be doing.
At the very earliest, it will be 2011 until they are back in the World Group and that last win in 2003 is looking further and further away.
Besides Lleyton Hewitt who else does Australia have? Chris Guccione? Carsten Ball? Bernard Tomic?
The stocks are very, very low, but as Israel has showed, you really don’t need that much to go far.
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