2003 Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I

Main article: 2003 Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone

The European and African Zone was one of the three zones of regional Davis Cup competition in 2003.

In the Europe/Africa Zone there were four different tiers, called groups, in which teams competed against each other to advance to the upper tier. Winners in Group I advanced to the World Group play-offs, along with losing teams from the World Group first round. Teams who lost their respective ties competed in the relegation play-offs, with winning teams remaining in Group I, whereas teams who lost their play-offs were relegated to the Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2004.

Participating teams

Seeds:

1. Slovakia
2. Morocco
3. Zimbabwe
4. Finland

Remaining nations:

• Austria
• Belarus
• Israel
• Italy

• Luxembourg
• Norway

Draw

Second Round Play-offs

First Round Play-offs

First Round

Second Round

1

Slovakia

Esch-sur-Alzette, Lux. (indoor hard)

bye

Luxembourg

1

Slovakia

3

bye

Luxembourg

2

Luxembourg

Asker, Norway (clay)

bye

Luxembourg

5

Norway

0

4

Finland

Asker, Norway (clay)

St. Anton, Austria (carpet)

bye

4

Finland

4

4

Finland

2

Oslo, Norway (indoor hard)

Norway

1

Austria

3

Austria

5

Norway

0

Minsk, Belarus (carpet)

Belarus

3

Ramat Hasharon, Israel (hard)

Minsk, Belarus (carpet)

Israel

2

Israel

5

Belarus

4

3

Zimbabwe

0

3

Zimbabwe

1

bye

Harare, Zimbabwe (hard)

3

Zimbabwe

3

Zimbabwe

3

Italy

2

bye

Marrakesh, Morocco (clay)

Italy

bye

Italy

2

Italy

2

Morocco

3

bye

2

Morocco

• Norway and Italy relegated to Group II in 2004.
• Slovakia, Austria, Belarus, and Morocco advance to World Group Play-off.

First Round Matches

Norway vs. Austria

Norway 0	Riksanlegget, Oslo, Norway 7–9 February 2003 Hard (indoor)		Austria 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 Stian Boretti Jürgen Melzer 2 6 2 6 1 6       2 Jan Frode Andersen Alexander Peya 3 6 3 6 5 7       3 Jan Frode Andersen / Stian Boretti Jürgen Melzer / Alexander Peya 3 6 2 6 77 64 6 4 5 7   4 Fredrik Aarum Oliver Marach 4 6 2 6         5 Stian Boretti Konstantin Gruber 3 6 5 7

Belarus vs. Israel

Belarus 3	Olympic Training Centre, Minsk, Belarus 7–9 February 2003 Carpet (indoor)		Israel 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Max Mirnyi Harel Levy 6 1 62 77 6 3 78 66     2 Vladimir Voltchkov Noam Okun 6 2 77 65 6 3       3 Max Mirnyi / Vladimir Voltchkov Jonathan Erlich / Andy Ram 77 62 6 4 6 4       4 Alexander Shvets Andy Ram 1 6 2 3       retired   5 Alexander Skrypko Harel Levy 4 6 4 6

Second Round Matches

Luxembourg vs. Slovakia

Luxembourg 2	National Tennis Centre (CNT), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg 4–6 April 2003 Hard (indoor)		Slovakia 3
1 2 3 4 5 1 Gilles Müller Michal Mertiňák 7 5 6 3 78 66       2 Gilles Kremer Karol Beck 3 6 4 6 2 6       3 Gilles Müller / Mike Scheidweiler Karol Beck / Igor Zelenay 7 5 7 5 6 4       4 Gilles Müller Karol Beck 4 6 3 6 3 6       5 Mike Scheidweiler Michal Mertiňák 6 4 3 6 2 6 4 6

Austria vs. Finland

Austria 3	Arlberg-well.com Halle, St. Anton, Austria 4–6 April 2003 Carpet (indoor)		Finland 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Stefan Koubek Tuomas Ketola 7 5 4 6 77 63 6 1     2 Jürgen Melzer Jarkko Nieminen 65 77 6 4 4 6 6 4 4 6   3 Julian Knowle / Alexander Peya Tuomas Ketola / Jarkko Nieminen 2 6 6 4 77 64 7 5     4 Stefan Koubek Jarkko Nieminen 3 6 2 6 3 6       5 Jürgen Melzer Tuomas Ketola 77 62 3 6 66 78 6 2 6 2

Belarus vs. Zimbabwe

Belarus 4	Olympic Training Centre, Minsk, Belarus 4–6 April 2003 Carpet (indoor)		Zimbabwe 1
1 2 3 4 5 1 Max Mirnyi Kevin Ullyett 6 3 77 64 6 4       2 Vladimir Voltchkov Wayne Black 64 77 6 4 6 2 7 5     3 Max Mirnyi / Vladimir Voltchkov Wayne Black / Kevin Ullyett 5 7 6 3 7 5 77 64     4 Alexander Skrypko Wayne Black 6 3 6 3         5 Vladimir Voltchkov Gwinyai Tongoona 6 1 1 2       retired

Morocco vs. Italy

Morocco 3	Royal Tennis Club, Marrakesh, Morocco 4–6 April 2003 Clay		Italy 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Younes El Aynaoui Filippo Volandri 78 66 6 4 3 6 77 65     2 Hicham Arazi Davide Sanguinetti 5 7 6 1 6 0 4 6 3 6   3 Mounir El Aarej / Younes El Aynaoui Massimo Bertolini / Giorgio Galimberti 1 6 4 6 1 6       4 Younes El Aynaoui Davide Sanguinetti 6 4 6 3 6 2       5 Hicham Arazi Filippo Volandri 6 3 6 3 6 2

First Round Play-offs Matches

Norway vs. Finland

Norway 1	Asker Tennis Club, Asker, Norway 11–13 July 2003 Clay		Finland 4
1 2 3 4 5 1 Stian Boretti Jarkko Nieminen 1 6 1 5       retired   2 Jan Frode Andersen Janne Ojala 4 6 6 3 77 63 7 5     3 Jan Frode Andersen / Stian Boretti Tuomas Ketola / Jarkko Nieminen 5 7 4 6 4 6       4 Jan Frode Andersen Jarkko Nieminen 2 6 2 6 4 6       5 Thomas Haug Kim Tiilikainen 1 6 3 6

Israel vs. Zimbabwe

Israel 5	Canada Stadium, Ramat HaSharon, Israel 11–13 July 2003 Hard		Zimbabwe 0
1 2 3 4 5 1 Noam Okun Gwinyai Tongoona 6 4 6 3 6 4       2 Harel Levy Genius Chidzikwe 6 2 6 4 6 4       3 Jonathan Erlich / Andy Ram Genius Chidzikwe / Gwinyai Chingoka 7 5 6 4 6 4       4 Noam Okun Zibusiso Ncube 6 4 77 63         5 Jonathan Erlich Gwinyai Chingoka 6 4 6 0

Second Round Play-offs Matches

Norway vs. Luxembourg

Norway 0	Asker Tennis Club, Asker, Norway 19–21 September 2003 Clay		Luxembourg 5
1 2 3 4 5 1 Stian Boretti Gilles Müller 3 6 63 77 6 2 3 6     2 Jan Frode Andersen Mike Scheidweiler 4 6 4 6 64 77       3 Jan Frode Andersen / Stian Boretti Gilles Müller / Mike Scheidweiler 1 6 6 4 6 3 3 6 4 6   4 Helge Koll-Frafjord Gilles Kremer 4 6         retired   5 Erling Tveit Laurent Hild 3 6 77 65 3 6

Zimbabwe vs. Italy

Zimbabwe 3	Harare City Sports Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe 19–21 September 2003 Hard		Italy 2
1 2 3 4 5 1 Kevin Ullyett Filippo Volandri 4 6 7 5 6 3 77 65     2 Wayne Black Davide Sanguinetti 77 62 6 1 6 3       3 Wayne Black / Kevin Ullyett Massimo Bertolini / Giorgio Galimberti 79 67 6 2 6 4       4 Genius Chidzikwe Giorgio Galimberti 2 6 2 6         5 Nigel Badza Davide Sanguinetti 1 6 1 6