Tennis / Ill with swine flu, Sela and Levy check out of Salzburg tourney

Dudi Sela and Harel Levy have taken ill with swine flu and will miss the rest of this week's Salzburg Indoors tournament in Austria, part of the ATP Challenger Tour.

After the Israeli tennis players complained yesterday of feeling ill, blood tests and throat cultures administered by tournament physicians confirmed they were carrying the virus.

Levy seemed to expect the worst, telling the sports Web site ONE yesterday before the final results had come in: "It seems we've become ill with swine flu. We don't feel well."

Sela had hoped the Salzburg tournament could help him end the season on a high note, after a string of losses led him to take a six-week break from official competition. Sela, ranked no. 43 in the world, defeated Robin Vik of the Czech Republic 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 on Tuesday for his first win in four months. Had he not contracted the virus, Sela would have played Belgium's Yannick Mertens today for a spot in the quarterfinal of the $75,000-purse tournament.

It speaks volumes about the depth of the Spanish team on clay that captain Albert Costa could discard Fernando Verdasco and bring in David Ferrer today, for the first day of singles in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.

Verdasco has overcome a leg muscle strain but Costa, finalizing his team in yesterday's draw, decided to give the world number-nine an extra day off and named him for tomorrow's doubles contest alongside Feliciano Lopez.

World number two Rafael Nadal will play the opening singles match today against Tomas Berdych before Ferrer takes on Radek Stepanek.

"Fernando is fit and he has an important role to play in the doubles and possibly on Sunday," Costa said after the draw at the Palau Sant Jordi indoor venue in Barcelona. "But David has prepared really well and deserves to play."

Spain swept Israel on its home court in September to earn a shot at defending its Davis Cup title.