Serbs wary of Davis Cup reception in Croatia
With Croatia set to host Serbia in an all-Balkan Davis Cup quarterfinals in July, DPA reports Serbian Davis Cup coach Bogdan Obradovic has requested that the tie be played in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.
At the moment, Goran Ivanisevic and Mario Ancic’s hometown of Split is considered the most likely choice of venue, but the Serbs are concerned that it will attract a more rowdy, nationalistic crowd.
“I hope they will accept our reasons, bearing in mind that in Split we would play a high-risk match,” Obradovic told local media.
Croatian daily Jutarnji List has reportedly described the comment as “the start of psychological warfare already four months before.”
While the tie looks likely stir nationalistic passion among the locals, Serbian and Croatian players on tour frequently count each other among their closer friends on the circuit. Novak Djokovic, who will lead the Serbian team, cautioned, “I heard that my camp is complaining about Split as the host, but I think that the war years are far behind us and that we should not overreact.”
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