Monteiro, Dutra Silva, Soares, Melo and Wild to lead Brazil against Belgium
In the first edition of the Davis Cup Qualifiers, Brazil will face Belgium at the Sabiazinho - Ginasio Presidente Tancredo Neves in Uberlandia on an indoor clay surface between February 1-2, seeking the place at Davis Cup finals at the end of November. The host team will try to overpower the fourth-best team in the world in front of their fans and the favorite surface, especially if David Goffin decides to skip the tie just a week after the Australian Open. The Brazilian Davis Cup captain Joao Zwetsch has gathered the strongest possible squad, calling Thiago Monteiro, Rogerio Dutra Silva, Bruno Soares (who missed 2018 campaign), the Brazilian player of the year Marcelo Melo and their most promising youngster Thiago Wild.
This will be the first home tie for Brazil since July 2016 when they defeated Ecuador 3-1 and they will try to use this opportunity and secure the spot among the elite 18 teams in Madrid at the end of next year. The Brazilians have been struggling to make an impact in singles in 2018, with no players ranked in the top-100 and only Monteiro and Dutra Silva in the top-200 group. Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo will stand as the favorites in the doubles rubber and the other players will do their best to deliver additional two points and send Brazil over the top. In their previous meeting, Belgium scored an easy win in the World Group Play-off two years ago in Ostend on an indoor hard court but it should be a much tighter match in 40 days time. An 18-year-old Thiago Wild, the reigning US Open junior champion, will wait for a chance to make a debut for the Brazilian Davis Cup squad, focusing on his pro career in 2019 after winning two Futures titles so far.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2V63mDf
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