Tommy Robredo and Marcel Ganollers triumphed over Stanislas Wawrinka and Yves Allegro by winning 7-6(8) 6-2 4-6 6-4. The Spaniards now have some breathing room and lead 2-1 over Switzerland. They just need one victory tomorrow.

David Ferrer has good odds over Wawrinka, but the second-ranked Swiss can be trouble. Should Ferrer lose, Nicolas Almagro should be able to take out Marco Chiudinelli.

Saturday’s Results
R3 – M. Granollers (ESP)/T. Robredo (ESP) def. Y. Allegro (SUI)/S. Wawrinka (SUI) 7-6(8) 6-2 4-6 6-4

(Image: AP)

Team Spain enters their Davis Cup matchup pretty banged up. Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and lastly Juan Carlos Ferrero all pulled out with injuries. Spain debuted today in Longrona, Spain against Switzerland with its C team – David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Tommy Robredo and Marcel Granollers.

Almagro is recovering from a wrist injury, and Robredo is not having the best year. Granollers has had success on the doubles side over the last two years and has even won a title with Robredo. Ferrer is their only rock. If the Spanish were going to be picked off, it would be this weekend.

Almagro opened well against Stanislas Wawrinka and put away the first set. The 24-year-old Swiss was able to get back into the match by taking the second set. The two players battled it out until the final set. The world no. 40 went up a break, and it looked like he would be able to put Wawrinka away. He instead allowed the Swiss back in to the match, and world no. 20 was somehow able to win the match 6-3 4-6 6-3 5-7 6-3 in just under four hours of play to put Switzerland up 1-0.

Ferrer then came out in the next rubber and put in a solid performance against Marco Chiudinelli. Though he disappeared in the second set, the Spaniard was able to sneak off with the set and slam the door in the third set. He beat Chiudinelli 6-2 7-6(5) 6-1 in under 2 ½ hours of play to level the Davis Cup tie 1-1.

Granollers and Robredo will play Yves Allegro and Wawrinka tomorrow and have a good shot at winning. Ferrer has solid odds against Wawrinka with a 4-2 record for the fourth rubber. The Spaniard also leads their meetings on clay 3-1.

If Spain loses in doubles, it has a much tougher field to hoe. Almagro should be able to beat Chiudinelli, but his wrist issues could complicate matters. It would not be surprising if Coach Alberto Costa substitutes Robredo to play the final rubber, though current world no. 23 is not having a great year with a 3-5 singles record.

Spain vs. Switzerland
Friday’s Results
R1 – Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 3-6 6-4 3-6 7-5 6-3
R2 – David Ferrer (ESP) def. Marco Chiudinelli (SUI) 6-2 7-6(5) 6-1

Saturday’s Match
R3 – M. Granollers (ESP)/T. Robredo (ESP) vs. Y. Allegro (ESP)/S. Wawrinka (SUI)

(Images: AP)

Third-seed Mikhail Youzhny defeated Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(5) 6-0 6-4. Youzhny’s win keeps the title in Russia, where Russians have won the title for six-consecutive years. This is the world no. 30’s first title of the year and sixth-career title.

On the doubles side, third-seeds Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers upset top-seeds Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak 4-6 7-5 10-8. This is their first title together.

Championship Sunday
Singles Final
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. 6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7(5) 6-0 6-4

Doubles Final
3 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) def. 1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) 4-6 7-5 10-8

Saturday’s Results
Singles Semifinals
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-2 6-1
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR) 6-1 6-4

Doubles Semifinals
1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) def. R. Bopanna (IND)/J. Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 10-6

(Images: AP)

Top-seed Novak Djokovic debuted in his second round match with Janko Tipsarevic in an all-Serbian affair. The ATP world no. 63 was able to take a set from Djokovic, who is currently having a good clay-court season. The current world no. 3 took care of business in the final set by winning at love and outlasting Tipsarevic 6-2 4-6 6-0.

Djokovic advances into the next round where he will play another Serb Viktor Troicki, who had a routine win over Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4. Troicki is currently 1-0 over Djokovic in their head-to-head match-up. Their last meeting was on clay in Croatia in 2007.

On the other side of the draw, third-seed Igor Andreev retired after just five games due to a rib injury. Lucky loser Lukasz Kubot now advances into the round of 16 and will face Kristof Vliegen, who upset eighth-seed Christophe Rochus in an all-Belgian battle.

Wednesday’s Results
Singles First Round
Q Flavio Cipolla (ITA) def. WC Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 1-6 6-3 6-1
Brian Dabul (ARG) def. Nicolas Massu (CHI) 6-2 -1
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) def. Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-3 6-2

Singles Second Round
1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-2 4-6 6-0
LL Lukasz Kubot (POL) def. 3 Igor Andreev (RUS) 3-2 Ret’d
5 Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-3 6-4
Kristof Vliegen (BEL) def. 8 Christophe Rochus (BEL) 3-6 6-4 6-3

Doubles First Round
3 S. Huss (AUS)/R. Hutchins (GBR) def. J. Levinsky (CZE)/J.C. Scherrer 7-6(6) 6-4
R. Wassen (NED)/I Zelenay (SVK) def. R. Karanusic (CRO)/I Karlovic (CRO) 7-6(4) 4-6 10-7
J. Brunstrom (SWE)/J.J. Rojer (AHO) def. C. Rochus (BEL)/L. Zovko (CRO) 6-2 6-3

Thursday’s Matches
Singles Second Round
2 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Brian Dabul (ARG)
4Andreas Seppi (ITA) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
6 Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) vs. Marcos Daniel (BRA)
7 Arnaud Clement (FRA) vs. Q Flavio Cipolla (ITA)

Doubles First Round
1 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. M. Djokovic (SRB)/D. Madjarovski (SRB)
2 L. Kubot (POL)/O. Marach (AUT) vs. J. Tipsarevic (SRB)/V. Troicki (SRB)
M. Granollers (ESP)/S. Ventura (ESP) - S. Querrey(USA)/S. Roitman (ARG)

Thursday's Order of Play

(Image: Serbia Open)

City: Houston, Texas, USA
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Championship Points: 250
2008 Singles Champion: Marcel Granollers
2008 Doubles Champions: Ernest Gulbis/Rainer Schuettler

Marcel Granollers will be on hand to defend his title. James Blake, Mardy Fish and Lleyton Hewitt will also be there. The tournament is on clay, so there will probably be no trouble from them. Look for Jeremy Chardy to cause a little bit of trouble in the top part of the draw. Also, there is always a possibility that Guillermo Canas could awake from his tennis slumber and surprise someone.

Ernest Gulbis and Rainer Schuettler will not defend their title. The Bryan Brothers, Fisher/Kerr, Ker/Damm and Huss/Hutchins will all be in the mix. Parrott/Polasek are having a good year, but Filip Polasek is not playing in the tournament. Travis Parrott is instead teamed up with the big, serving John Isner. This pairing could be interesting.

Tournament Draw
Singles / Doubles

Monday’s Matches
Qualifying Third Round
Donald Young (USA) vs. Scoville Jenkins (USA)
Michael Russell (USA) vs. Filip Krajinovic (SRB)
Alexander Peya (AUT) vs. Jesse Levine (USA)
Amer Delic (USA) vs. Giovanni Lapentti (ECU)

Singles First Round
3 Juergen Melzer (AUT) vs. Robert Kendrick (USA)
8 Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) vs. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)
Wayne Odesnik (USA) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA)
Evgeny Korolev (RUS) vs. Leonardo Mayer (ARG)

Doubles First Round
D. Martin (USA)/S. Querrey (USA) vs. J. Isner (USA)/T. Parrott (USA)
J. Blake (USA)/M. Fish (USA) vs. A. Delic (USA)/R. Kendrick (USA)

Monday’s Order of Play

(Image: Emily Jaschke)

AP

After winning the singles title, Tommy Robredo came back later last night and played in the doubles final with Marcel Granollers. The Spaniards bested the Argentine team of Lucas Arnold Ker and Juan Monaco in straight sets 6-4 7-5. This is the first time that Robredo has won the singles and doubles titles in the same tournament.