- Title: RUSSIA: VICTORIOUS DAVIS CUP TENNIS TEAM ARRIVES HOME
- Date: 2nd December 2002
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 2, 2002) (REUTERS) MIKHAIL YUZHNY SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS DESCENDING STAIRS HOLDING A RUSSIAN FLAG MICKHAIL YUZHNY SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MIKHAIL YUZHNY " According to the result it was good but I could have played better but it's not important now because the result is there." [QUESTION: What are you aiming at now?] (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MIKHAIL YUZHNY SAYING "There's a lot of things to aim at. I hope this is just a small part of what lies in ahead". [QUESTION: It seemed that you were a little shy during the first two sets, is that true?] (SOUBNDBITE) (Russian) MIKHAIL YUZHNY " No, I simply did not practice for a long time and the whole atmosphere was fantastic and it was hard to play in the beginning but I am glad I could overcome myself" [QUESTION: Who are you dedicating this victory to?" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MIKHAIL YUZHNY SAYING "To my father". (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SHAMIL TARPISHCHEV, RUSSIA'S TENNIS COACH " His performance was really one of the top twenty player. The main thing that we have received a new team player. What he showed in the game with Mathieu by losing 0-2 and then winning the game is a miracle. I personally don't recall a case in the history of Davis Cup when a player could drag the game from the score 0-2 to victory. " SHAMIL TARPISHCHEV WITH JOURNALISTS MIKHAIL YUZHNY GETTING INTO CAR CAR DRIVING AWAY EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 17th December 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW,RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: General,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAEJ9TKBIFQNS3U04D1GNGIX4KE
- Story Text: Russia's victorious tennis team has arrived in Moscow after beating France and winning the Davis Cup for the first time it's history.
Mikhail Yuzhny battled courageously on Sunday to claw his team's way back from a 2-1 deficit to beat holders France in dramatic fashion.
Russia, then competing as the Soviet Union, began playing Davis Cup tennis in 1962, but the game was long labelled a "bourgeois" pursuit. Tennis did not take off until BorisYeltsin, a keen tennis fan, patronised the sport and encouraged many of his aides to join him.
Marat Safin, who won both his singles matches at Bercy, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, now considering retirement, boosted the sport's popularity in Russia as the newly-established Kremlin Cup, set up in 1990, brought the sport's top names home.
But it was Youzhny, a ballboy the last time Russia appeared in a final in 1995, who stole the day on Sunday with a thrilling singles win after he was called to replace a fatigued Kafelnikov in an historic gamble by coach Shamil Tarpishchev.
Kafelnikov, who has long publicly dreamed of holding the Davis Cup, lost his opening singles match and Saturdays' doubles with Safin.
"Mikhail Youzhny won the Davis Cup for Yevgeny Kafelnikov," the respected Kommersant daily said in its front page spread. Yevgeny Kafelnikov's dream came true, though he did little to achieve it in this final."
But the last bitter note from Russian sports fans was reserved for mainstream Russian television, after millions were shut out of the game, aired live only on satellite channels. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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