Croatia Level With Germany After Ljubicic Win

Ivan Ljubicic held his nerve to beat German rookie Benjamin Becker 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-3.

Ivan Ljubicic held his nerve to beat German rookie Benjamin Becker 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-3 and haul Croatia level at the end of the opening day of their Davis Cup world group first-round tie on Friday.

Germany took the opening rubber when Tommy Haas recovered from a nervous start to beat a fading Mario Ancic 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 and Croatia looked in deep trouble when Becker played out of his skin to take the first set off Ljubicic.

The world number eight recovered his poise to level in a tight second set, however, and then simply overpowered the 25-year-old Becker, who is ranked at number 49 and is no relation to German Davis Cup hero Boris Becker.

The day had started well for Croatia, the 2005 winners, with Ancic taking advantage of a nervous start by Haas to take an untidy opening set in the first rubber.

Ancic soon tired, though, and Haas, fresh from a run to the Australian Open semi-finals, took command, breaking in the opening game of the second set when the Croat overhit an easy forehand.

That proved enough to level at a set apiece and he earned another break at the start of the third, working Ancic around the indoor hard court expertly on the crucial point.

Haas hauled himself back from 0-40 in game six and saved two more break points in his next service game before finally clinching the set.

MORE AGGRESSIVE

It was a similar story in the fourth, with Haas breaking early and holding on for victory in three hours five minutes to put the three-times champions ahead.

"I got more aggressive after the first set, took my first break point chance and defended well on the big points against my serve," said Haas.

Ancic is due to play on all three days of the tie and his fitness could now be a concern for captain Goran Prpic.

"By the end my legs were dead," said Ancic, who added that he still planned to play the doubles as well as Sunday's reverse singles. "I was having a tough time breathing."

Becker, scurrying furiously to counter Ljubicic's greater punch, won and lost a break in the first set and then had to save two set points to force a tiebreak which he took 7-4, converting the second of two chances with a crosscourt winner.

Ljubicic made his more powerful game pay in the second set, breaking Becker in game seven and serving nine aces in the set, including three as he served out.

He rattled through the third set in 32 minutes and finally broke Becker's resistance when the German saved two break points in game seven only to put a simple volley into the net after Ljubicic had forced a third.

Reuters