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• Chile travels to Croatia without Gonzalez

  3/6/09 6:28 AM | Ricky Dimon
  Chile has to go on the road to face a formidable Croatian squad in this weekend's opening round of Davis Cup action. Adding insult to injury, the Chileans will be without top player Fernando Gonzalez.
  
  As if going into Croatia for a 2009 Davis Cup opener is not difficult enough, Chile is missing its top-ranked player, Fernando Gonzalez, due to a back injury.
  
  The result is an undermanned Chilean team of Nicolas Massu, Paul Capdeville, Guillermo Hormazabal, and Hans Podlipnik-Castillo. Only veterans Massu and Capdeville are currently in the lineup--for both singles and doubles.
  
  Croatia has also scheduled just two players, although the hosts could easily go with all four and probably fare just as well. Leading the way will be Marin Cilic and Mario Ancic. Ivo Karlovic and Roko Karanusic are waiting in the wings in case something changes after Friday's singles rubbers.
  
  Cilic, just 20 years old, has already won two ATP titles this season (Chennai and Zagreb). Ancic is enjoying a rare stretch of good health and it has paid off in the form of a No. 30 world ranking. He lost to Cilic in the Zagreb title match and followed that up with a semifinal performance in Rotterdam earlier this month.
  
  Home-court advantage and a fast indoor surface only make Croatia an even more overwhelming favorite. Nonetheless, Chilean captain Hans Gildemeister has no interest in going away without a fight. "Many things can happen in the Davis Cup," he cautioned. "History has shown that everything is possible. Now, with Gonzalez out of the tie, Croatia is a slight favorite, but we have nothing to lose. Anyway, favorites have to show it on the court. We have been practicing hard, and feel we can put up a good fight."
  
  Fight they will, but Croatia should be able to clinch this tie after just three rubbers.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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