Croatia won't run scared

2008-09-06 15:24

Zagreb - Croatia's Davis Cup team captain Goran Prpic said they would not be running scared when they line up against Brazil in two weeks in a bid to return to the competition's world group.

In the absence of Ivan Ljubicic for the world group play-off encounter, Croatia will be led by world ranked number 14 Ivo Karlovic. Marin Cilic, the experienced Mario Ancic and Roko Karanusic make up the rest of the quartet.

Although admitting they would be "showing respect" to their Brazilian opponents on September 19-21, Prpic added on Saturday: "But we can't ignore the fact we will be favourites."

Croatia won the Davis Cup in 2005 after a final against Slovakia, but a year later were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Argentina. Last year Croatia was then demoted to the Davis Cup Europe zone after a play-off defeat to Great Britain.

After announcing his four-man squad for the matches to be played in Zadar, Prpic said on Saturday their task is simple: "Our aim is to return to the world group."

Cilic, ranked 24th in the world, won the New Haven ATP tournament at the end of August against American Mardy Fish.

Ancic is ranked 28th in the world having missed out on the Beijing Olympics due to poor health, and said he is itching to get back on the courts.

"The match against Brazil is my number one objective," said Ancic. "We've got three players in the team who are ranked in the ATP's top 30 and we deserve to get back into the world group."

- AFP