Champions Russia have opted to play on clay when they host Germany in the Davis Cup semi-finals, Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev said on Monday. "We have decided to play on a slower surface and I can say we'll make it as slow as possible," Tarpishchev, who coached Russia's Davis and Fed Cup teams, told Reuters.
Tarpishchev said he was expecting all his top players to be available for the Sept. 21-23 clash at the 10,000-seat Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow, where the Russians beat Argentina 3-2 in the December final to win the 2006 title.
Former world number one Marat Safin helped Russia to a 3-2 victory over France in this month's quarter-finals at Moscow's Luzhniki arena while the Germans beat Belgium away by the same score to reach the last four for the first time since 1995.
The Olympic Sports Complex holds a special memory for the Russians.
In the 1995 Davis Cup semi-final against Germany, Andrei Chesnokov saved nine match points against former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich to lead Russia into the final.
"Chesnokov's heroics almost 12 years ago should give us an extra motivation," said Tarpishchev.
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