MOSCOW, April 23 - Champions Russia have opted to
play on clay when they host Germany in the Davis Cup
semi-finals, Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev said on
Monday.
"We have decided to play on a slower surface and I can say
we'll make it as slow as possible," Tarpishchev, who coached
Russia's Davis and Fed Cup teams, told Reuters.
Tarpishchev said he was expecting all his top players to be
available for the Sept. 21-23 clash at the 10,000-seat Olympic
Sports Complex in Moscow, where the Russians beat Argentina 3-2
in the December final to win the 2006 title.
Former world number one Marat Safin helped Russia to a 3-2
victory over France in this month's quarter-finals at Moscow's
Luzhniki arena while the Germans beat Belgium away by the same
score to reach the last four for the first time since 1995.
The Olympic Sports Complex holds a special memory for the
Russians.
In the 1995 Davis Cup semi-final against Germany, Andrei
Chesnokov saved nine match points against former Wimbledon
champion Michael Stich to lead Russia into the final.
"Chesnokov's heroics almost 12 years ago should give us an
extra motivation," said Tarpishchev.