Davis Cup 1st Round – Serbia v. Sweden

Written by: Staff on 8th February 2012

Davis Cup 1st Round - Serbia v. Sweden

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina during their World Group Davis Cup semi finals tennis match in Belgrade, Serbia, 18 September 2011. EPA/KOCA SULEJMANOVIC |

SERBIA v SWEDEN – Nis, SRB – hard (indoors)

Head-to-head: Serbia lead 5-4

Serbia and Sweden have met just once since Serbia started competing as an independent nation and that was in last year’s quarterfinals. The winner of this tie will travel to play the winner of Czech Republic v Italy in April’s quarterfinals.

SERBIA v SWEDEN

2 Current DC Nations Ranking 12

Champion 2010 Best Result Champion (7 times)

1995 First Year Played 1925

18 Years Played (inc 2012) 79

5 Years in World Group (inc 2012) 31

46 Ties Played 217

33-13 Ties Win-Loss 146-71

0 Comebacks from 0-2 down 5

• SERBIA are bidding to reach the quarterfinals for the 3rd consecutive year.

• The last time Serbia lost in the first round was in 2009, when they lost to Spain 4-1 in Benidorm.

• Last year, as defending champion Serbia lost to Argentina 3-2 in the semifinals in Belgrade. It was their first loss at the Belgrade Arena and just their 4th loss at home. It brought to an end a 7-match winning streak in Davis Cup.

• Serbia first competed in Davis Cup in 1995 under the Yugoslav flag. Yugoslavia was renamed Serbia & Montenegro in 2004 before Serbia became an independent nation in 2007. Before 1995, Serbian players represented former Yugoslavia, which reached the World Group semifinals three times in 1988-89 and 1991.

• At No. 2, Serbia is ranked at its highest position to date in the Davis Cup Nations Ranking.

• SWEDEN jointly holds the record for most World Group appearances (31) with Czech Republic and USA. All 3 nations have played in the World Group every year except one since its inception in 1981. Sweden were absent from the World Group in 2000.

• Last year, Sweden reached the quarterfinals for the first time in 3 years. They lost to this weekend’s opponent 4-1 in Halmstad.

• Sweden won 7 Davis Cup titles between 1975 and 1998. They reached 7 straight finals from 1983 to 1989, a record since the abolition of the Challenge Round in 1972.

• Sweden have come back from 0-2 down in a Davis Cup tie more than any other nation, doing so 5 times, most recently in 1998 against Slovak Republic.

• Sweden have been ranked No. 12 in the ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking since 19 September 2011 – their lowest ranking since 2006.