Sweet Serb win tinged with sour taste

It should have been the sweetest tennis story of the year. Little Serbia's stunning victory over France had all the things you want from a piece of sporting drama: excitement, a rollicking atmosphere and some outstanding personal performances.

But some incidents throughout the weekend have left a sour, bitter taste that Tramlines just cannot wash out of its mouth. None more so than the utterly disgraceful comments from the Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic after the doubles rubber.

Rather than praise France's Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra for a fantastic come-from-behind victory, Obradovic instead decided to have a petty rant that was the height of ignorance and bad sportsmanship by essentially slamming the line judges for not cheating in his side's favour.

"We are not asking them to be thieves and give us anything," he said before immediately asking them to do just that.

"But some of them were absolutely awful today and they made several bad calls at key moments in the match.

"They were like a dark force out there and their lack of patriotism was astounding. If they feel anything for their country they ought to wait for a customary second at close calls to make the right decision.

"We know them very well and we are completely aware that they are trying to build a career by siding to the (International Tennis Federation). We won't stand in their way but they must remember that they are only here because Serbian tennis has become a force."

The true character of individuals comes out not when they win, but when they lose. Obradovic said all the right things after the tie was finished - "France were great opponents, it was a fantastic match...blah blah" - but it is very easy to suddenly become magnanimous when your side has won and you are clutching the trophy in your arms.

Where was that grace when Serbia were 2-1 down though? Completely lacking - and one is left wondering how he would have responded if France had won the Cup.

Tramlines also has to take issue with Serbia's much-lauded supporters, but not for the same flippant reason as France's captain Guy Forget whose pandering sugar-coating around an insult couldn't disguise the fact that he was still calling some Serb fans 'idiots' for making a bit of noise. It is a Davis Cup final, Mr Forget, for God's sake - get over it.

No, instead Tramlines again goes back to the Saturday doubles match to find disappointment from the legions in Belgrade.

The crowd were a fizzing cacophony as they watched their side go 2-0 up but then, as France started to work their way back into the match, the home fans went into a shell and let the surprisingly large and noisy contingent of away supporters completely drown them out.

All reports on Sunday's memorable final day praised the noise generated in the arena, but again, that is the easy part; Serbia enjoyed two three-set victories to win the Davis Cup - of course they're going to get excited about that.

When the supporters were really needed in latter stages of the doubles though they were found wanting - some of them even went home before the match had finished.

For Tramlines there was one particularly telling moment early in the fifth set. At that stage of the match Viktor Troicki's game had completely fallen apart and he was clearly having major confidence issues. Seeing that, his partner Nenad Zimonjic asked the crowd to give Troicki a lift by gesturing to them to pump up the volume. However, after a half-hearted roar, everything quickly calmed down again and France were able to clinically go on and win the match with all the singing and shouting in the building coming from their travelling support.

At this point Tramlines should perhaps point out that it was not neutral going into this final - it was cheering for Serbia.

Nothing against France as a team or a country, but they have experienced lots of sporting success in the past and are a well-established tennis nation.

A Serbian victory was always going to be a bigger story; a sporting landmark for a nation and a Cinderella story for the sport of tennis.

Novak Djokovic played like a man possessed and also acted as a remarkably effective cheerleader by consistently reminding the fans that they should be caring as much about the tie as he clearly was.

Troicki, after looking like a scared boy in the doubles, put in the performance of his career to win the deciding rubber.

Zimonjic was suffering from an injured elbow and missed his child's birthday so he could compete, but still produced some superb stuff in the doubles even if it was a losing effort.

And while Janko Tipsarevic didn't have the best of weekends, who can forget his stunning contribution in getting Serbia into the final?

They deserved better from sections of their crowd and most certainly from their captain who discredited himself, the sport and his country with his comments on Saturday. Those comments will not, and should not, be easily forgotten.

No doubt the Serbian fans will flood the comment section below accusing Tramlines of trying to rain on their parade. I'm sure the party went on long and hard into the Belgrade night, but the truth is, this was not the sweet, memorable, feel-good story it should have been for this outsider looking in.

It's just an inescapable shame that some of those associated with the Serbian team could not have shown as much passion and class as their players did.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/tr … ticle/146/

List of Davis Cup champions

List of Davis Cup champions and beaten finalists since 1946, after Serbia beat France 3-2 in the 2010 final in Belgrade on Sunday:

2010 Serbia beat France 3-2

2009 Spain beat Czech Republic 5-0

2008 Spain beat Argentina 3-1

2007 U.S. beat Russia 4-1

2006 Russia beat Argentina 3-2

2005 Croatia beat Slovakia 3-2

2004 Spain beat U.S. 3-2

2003 Australia beat Spain 3-1

2002 Russia beat France 3-2

2001 France beat Australia 3-2

2000 Spain beat Australia 3-1

1999 Australia beat France 3-2

1998 Sweden beat Italy 4-1

1997 Sweden beat U.S. 5-0

1996 France beat Sweden 3-2

1995 U.S. beat Russia 3-2

1994 Sweden beat Russia 4-1

1993 Germany beat Australia 4-1

1992 U.S. beat Switzerland 3-1

1991 France beat U.S. 3-1

1990 U.S. beat Australia 3-2

1989 Germany beat Sweden 3-2

1988 Germany beat Sweden 4-1

1987 Sweden beat India 5-0

1986 Australia beat Sweden 3-2

1985 Sweden beat Germany 3-2

1984 Sweden beat U.S. 4-1

1983 Australia beat Sweden 3-2

1982 U.S. beat France 4-1

1981 U.S. beat Argentina 3-1

1980 Czechoslovakia beat Italy 4-1

1979 U.S. beat Italy 5-0

1978 U.S. beat Britain 4-1

1977 Australia beat Italy 3-1

1976 Italy beat Chile 4-1

1975 Sweden beat Czechoslovakia 3-2

1974 South Africa beat India (walkover)

1973 Australia beat U.S. 5-0

1972 U.S. beat Romania 3-2

1971 U.S. beat Romania 3-2

1970 U.S. beat Germany 5-0

1969 U.S. beat Romania 5-0

1968 U.S. beat Australia 4-1

1967 Australia beat Spain 4-1

1966 Australia beat India 4-1

1965 Australia beat Spain 4-1

1964 Australia beat U.S. 3-2

1963 U.S. beat Australia 3-2

1962 Australia beat Mexico 5-0

1961 Australia beat Italy 5-0

1960 Australia beat Italy 4-1

1959 Australia beat U.S. 3-2

1958 U.S. beat Australia 3-2

1957 Australia beat U.S. 3-2

1956 Australia beat U.S. 5-0

1955 Australia beat U.S. 5-0

1954 U.S. beat Australia 3-2

1953 Australia beat U.S. 3-2

1952 Australia beat U.S. 4-1

1951 Australia beat U.S. 3-2

1950 Australia beat U.S. 4-1

1949 U.S. beat Australia 4-1

1948 U.S. beat Australia 5-0

1947 U.S. beat Australia 4-1

1946 U.S. beat Australia 5-0

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/05122010/2/t … pions.html