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Last update - 21:43 08/03/2009
Israel defeats Sweden 3-2 to advance to Davis Cup tennis quarterfinals
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, Sweden 

Israel advanced to the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1987 after rallying to beat seven-time champion Sweden 3-2 Sunday in a close series overshadowed by political protests.

Harel Levy beat Andreas Vinciguerra 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 to decide the World Group first-round series in a near-empty arena in Malmo.

Dudi Sela had leveled the series earlier Sunday by wearing out Thomas Johansson 3-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
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Vinciguerra saved two match points but botched a forehand to lose his serve and the final set. The jubilant Israeli team ran out on the court and hoisted Levy in the air.

In the previous match, Sela got so upset when he lost the third set he cracked his racket against the indoor carpet. The burst of anger appeared to have energized the Israeli, who broke Johansson's serve in the first game of the fourth.

Meanwhile, Johansson, playing his second match since October following heel surgery, was showing signs of fatigue. He struggled with unforced errors and lost the set when his backhand return went wide.

"I knew I had to play long points and keep him on the court as long as possible. I think it paid off," Sela said.

Johansson admitted he lost steam in the fourth set.

"When your body stops there is not much you can do," the 2002 Australian Open champion said. "It's just agony to stay out there. You know that if he doesn't break his leg there is no chance".

Johansson could not longer put up a fight in the final set, allowing Sela to break his serve twice and go 4-0 up to the delight of a small group of Israeli special guests.

Sela lost four match points before the Swede botched a return to give Israel the victory.

With the score tied at 1-1 after two marathon singles on Friday, Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt put Sweden ahead in the doubles Saturday by defeating Andy Ram and Amir Hadad in four sets.

In the opening singles, Johansson beat Levy in five sets before Sela leveled the series with a five-set victory over Vinciguerra.

Only about 300 special invitees were allowed to watch the match because city officials said they couldn't guarantee security at the venue. Critics, including the Israeli team, said Malmo was caving in to threats of violence from anti-Israel groups.

On Saturday, scores of rock-throwing protesters bent on stopping the match
clashed with police in an attempt to storm the arena. Police apprehended nearly 100 people and arrested 10 of them on preliminary charges of rioting and assault. No injuries were reported.

Two officers pulled their weapons but no shots were fired in the melee, Malmo police said.

Israel will play Russia in the quarterfinals, being held between July 10-12.
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  1.   Great game! 19:10  |  Martin 08/03/09
  2.   Muslims deny public a great tennis match. 20:26  |  Mongo 08/03/09
  3.   Mazal tov!! 21:35  |  Jewish girl 08/03/09
  4.   Israel!! 21:39  |  hampus 08/03/09
  5.   Good Luck Israel ! 21:39  |  Indian Hindu 08/03/09
  6.   martin.. swedes i pity 21:44  |  mournhamed 08/03/09
  7.   Poetic Justice 21:53  |  Ronald 08/03/09
  8.   Martin: Malmo`s "Other" Real Agenda 21:56  |  Brad 08/03/09
  9.   Bravo ! 22:03  |  Fortuna Benmayor 08/03/09
  10.   So great 22:06  |  Bo 08/03/09
  11.   congratulate 22:08  |  Åke Nilsson 08/03/09
  12.   WELL DONE ISRAEL 22:21  |  esteban 08/03/09
  13.   mazel tov 22:45  |  Linda 08/03/09
  14.   I feel bad for the Swedish team 22:46  |  Serge 08/03/09
  15.   IN YOUR FACES! 22:52  |  Alex 08/03/09
  16.   Congratulation to IL team! 22:58  |  Ruud 08/03/09
  17.   Mazal Tov! 22:59  |  Alicia 08/03/09
  18.   now we know why swedes wanted to boycott the games... 23:02  |  scallywag 08/03/09
  19.   MAZAL TOV !! 23:09  |  Jossi Bloch 08/03/09
  20.   Sweden off the wall 23:14  |  Israel fan 08/03/09
  21.   Congratulations To a Israel , only democratic country in ME 23:20  |  Victor_The_Egyptian 08/03/09
  22.   WELL Done Israel! Sucess just keeps on coming 23:30  |  PETER SM 08/03/09
  23.   TO JEWISH GIRL 23:33  |  MARC 08/03/09
  24.   Heart-felt congratulations. 23:34  |  Lou Medel 08/03/09
  25.   A great weekend indeed, Martina 23:35  |  Rich 08/03/09
  26.   Felicidades Israel 23:45  |  Mark B. 08/03/09
  27.   Stuff it Sweden! 23:45  |  Mongo 08/03/09
  28.   Congratulations 23:53  |  Dimitri 08/03/09
  29.   VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY 23:56  |  BEN 08/03/09
  30.   ISRAEL , YOU RULE!! 00:03  |  Roger 09/03/09
  31.   Abu Martinah # 8 - EAT YOUR HEART OUT 00:06  |  Roger 09/03/09
  32.   Best response 00:07  |  David 09/03/09
  33.   Now they`ll go after players for not refusing to play against 00:16  |  Leon 09/03/09
  34.   Thanks for congratulations 00:17  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 09/03/09
  35.   Great lesson! 00:56  |  Maurice 09/03/09
  36.   Kol Hakavod!! 00:56  |  The Bedouin 09/03/09
  37.   Boycot Israel and feel Better! 01:03  |  Seth 09/03/09
  38.   This is probably the best answer to the anti-Jewish racism... 01:04  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 09/03/09
  39.   Good stuff Israel! 01:12  |  Michael J 09/03/09
  40.   One in the eye for those stupid antisemitic protestors!! 01:36  |  Colin 09/03/09
  41.   Oh those protesters! 02:07  |  Nechama 09/03/09
  42.   congratulations! bring us to the top! 02:26  |  Joey 09/03/09
  43.   What joy !! 02:38  |  Stig 09/03/09
  44.   Sweden Acted Shamefully 03:04  |  Baruch Gold 09/03/09
  45.   Stuff it Malmo! 03:35  |  Mongo 09/03/09
  46.   THE MORE YOU CRITICIZE THE JEWS 03:38  |  MARIA 09/03/09
  47.   Martina # 8 Then Leave Sports Out Of It 04:40  |  Jeff Northridge 09/03/09
  48.   God rewards the Chosen 07:14  |  don 09/03/09
  49.   Being creative and constructive has been our haulmark, especially 07:14  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 09/03/09
  50.   Martina #8 eat your heart out 07:36  |  Simha 09/03/09
  51.   #17 07:36  |  val 09/03/09
  52.   to Nechama 08:05  |  Will 09/03/09
  53.   Congratulations from San Francisco! 09:13  |  MikeL 09/03/09
  54.   People hate Jews because they are sucsessful..... 09:27  |  None Jew 09/03/09
  55.   Congratulations to the Israeli tennis players, BUT.... 09:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/03/09
  56.   #33 And Kiwi`s try to play Rugby 09:37  |  Joe Moer 09/03/09
  57.   Mazaltov Mazaltov 09:56  |  Am Yisrael Chai 09/03/09
  58.   Mazal Tow 10:05  |  Harry 09/03/09
  59.   Malmo, a Tourist destination? 10:08  |  FOX 09/03/09
  60.   Stop insulting Sweden. Crazed protesters don`t represent Sweden 10:43  |  John Doe 09/03/09
  61.   We value life vs their death, creativity vs their destructiveness 11:17  |  Jehudah 09/03/09
  62.   Don`t get too excited lads. It`s only the quarterfinals! 11:25  |  Michael 09/03/09
  63.   davis cup victory 11:55  |  sara 09/03/09
  64.   Sweden is country of Raul Wallenberg 11:57  |  Nils Levin 09/03/09
  65.   No. 64 Yes, but Sweden`s actions 12:16  |  a wandering Jew 09/03/09
  66.   Re Michael UK 12:28  |  Elianah 09/03/09
  67.   Insulting Sweden and the country of Raoul Wallenberg 12:51  |  Henrik 09/03/09
  68.   This is better then winning soccer`s World Cup! 13:39  |  Pelé 09/03/09
  69.   INDEED! 13:40  |  indrajaya 09/03/09
  70.   66 Elianah. I love Eurovision! 13:51  |  Michael 09/03/09
  71.   MICHAEL BTW.Who is claiming divine favor? 14:14  |  PETER SM 09/03/09
  72.   Henrik," 67! 14:27  |  Jozef 09/03/09
  73.   WE WON! THEY LOST NOW, PASS THE SOUP! 14:42  |  petra 09/03/09
  74.   PETER SM. Posts 46, 48, for instance. 14:45  |  Michael 09/03/09
  75.   No one is interested in Israel,s activities outside of 15:06  |  Labhras 09/03/09
  76.   Psm -- "success keeps on coming"--ha ha ha 15:16  |  Labhras 09/03/09
  77.   #64 Nils ....I saw the videos 15:17  |  Lynn 09/03/09
  78.   Congrats to the winner!! 15:19  |  Lynn 09/03/09
  79.   labrat,lol,i can see the steam rolling out of your collar,and 16:52  |  boo hoo little one 09/03/09
  80.   Swiss (Dino) 17:05  |  David Israel 09/03/09
  81.   There`s a big difference between a demonstration and a RIOT 17:25  |  Zvi 09/03/09
  82.   53 Swiss , can you stick those constant BUT s ?? 18:35  |  TOMY 09/03/09
  83.   Israel defeats Sweden in Davis Cup 18:47  |  Larry E. Newsome Sr. 09/03/09
  84.   Israel defeats Sweden 18:51  |  Ralph 09/03/09
  85.   @Swiss (Dino) 18:54  |  Ralph 09/03/09
  86.   Labhraas may live to regret 19:47  |  Yonatan 09/03/09
  87.   #55 Swiss Roll 19:54  |  H 09/03/09
  88.   Re: Jehudah Ben-Israel 19:56  |  Dan Johansson 09/03/09
  89.   #76 Labhras 21:17  |  Moshe 09/03/09
  90.   #69-- Indrajaya--- INDEED defeated 21:24  |  Ari ben Yisrael 09/03/09
  91.   #70 Michael on Eurovision 21:41  |  Joe Moer 09/03/09
  92.   #76 Labhras whispers congratulations. Hahahah 21:45  |  H 09/03/09
  93.   #75 Labarse-No one is interested in Israel,s activities 21:50  |  Ari ben Yisrael 09/03/09
  94.   Labhras - another sourpuss loser!! 22:38  |  Mongo 09/03/09
  95.   # 82 TOMY, my "BUT" had nothing to do with the sports event.... 23:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/03/09
  96.   # 87 H, I`m not a bit surprised, what should the Lord......... 23:42  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/03/09
  97.   # 85 ralph 23:43  |  Axel 09/03/09
  98.   Was it only tennis? 23:58  |  Elina 09/03/09
  99.   #86 Yonatan where did I say anything "Anti Jewsih" 00:45  |  Labhras 10/03/09
  100.   Throw the protesters in jail 01:47  |  Conroy 10/03/09
  101.   it`s all politics 02:44  |  Rut 10/03/09
  102.   MICHAEL UK not a very honest answer 03:20  |  PETER SM 10/03/09
  103.   greg3338 03:55  |  Gregory Mendelson 10/03/09
  104.   Equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism is tiresome 08:15  |  David 10/03/09
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