Italy Davis Cup Team Will Not Be At Full Strength Against Canada

Written by: Staff on 3rd April 2013

Italy Davis Cup Team Will Not Be At Full Strength Against Canada

epa03584617 Italian Simone Bolelli returns a ball to Argentinian Juan Monaco during their Brazil's open tennis game at the Ibirapuera gym, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 14 February 2013. EPA/Sebastião Moreira |

Italy is ready to play its first Davis Cup quarterfinal since 1998 and hopes are set to take a blow with doubles specialist Simone Bolelli rated doubtful for this weekend’s World Group quarter final against Canada in Vancouver after injuring a wrist at the Sony Open in Miami.

Ten days ago Bolelli was forced to retire from his singles match against Grigor Dimitrov and although he is responding to treatment, 35 year-old alternate Daniele Bracciali has been called into squad by captain Corrado Barazzutti.

The Canadians put much importance on their doubles partnership of Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil. Bolelli and compatriot Fabio Fognini are currently the world’s third ranked team but Bracciali is a good substitute, having won three titles with three different players in 2011 and more recently in January of this year reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year, where he and Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy lost to the top-seeded Bryan brothers.

Bolelli tried to play down his potential absence by saying singles players Andreas Seppi and Fognini hold Italy’s key to victory. “The priority for us is singles,” he insisted “We are more concerned with our singles rankings. Doubles, for us, is an extra.”

And Fognini, who practiced extensively with Bracciali on Wednesday at the tie venue, the University of British Columbia’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center, added: ““Normally I play doubles with Simone.

“But Bracciali is a good player. We’ve played together once before, and reached the finals in Casablanca (in April, 2012). We still have time to get ready this week.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Canadian tennis news, Daniel Nestor, Daniele Bracciali, Davis Cup, Fabio Fognini, Italian tennis news, Simone Bolelli, Sports, Tennis News, Vasek Pospisi