“I expected more people,” Netherlands captain Jan Siemerink said.
There were more than 2,000 in Sibiu to back Romania, but the Russians were too good. Marat Safin beat a spirited Victor Crivoi 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 and Mikhail Youzhny, picked ahead of Dmitry Tursunov, handled a disappointing Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 only two months after losing to him in Doha.
Romania won from 2-0 down when they last met Russia in 1997, but the odds are longer this time.
Without Fernando Gonzalez, Chile proved no match for hosts Croatia in Porec.
Mario Ancic beat former Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and Marin Cilic earned his first Cup win at the expense of Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
At Malmo, where city officials banned spectators from the heavily guarded Baltic Hall for fear of protests against Israel, the players produced a thrilling opening day’s play.
First, Sweden’s former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson returned from injury to beat Harel Levy 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 8-6, then Israel’s Dudi Sela outlasted Andreas Vinciguerra 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to level the tie.
Johansson had been out of action since October because of a foot injury and he committed 65 unforced errors. But he made the final break at 7-6 in the fifth and served out.
“I’m completely exhausted. I emptied everything I had,” Johansson said with his left foot wrapped in ice.
Vinciguerra saved a match point at 5-4 in the fifth set, but lost serve at 9-9 and Sela finally held to end their duel.
In Ostrava, an impressive Jo-Wilfried Tsonga downed Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) for France to draw even with the Czech Republic after Tomas Berdych ruined Gilles Simon’s Cup debut 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
The tie between last year’s quarter-finalists was even, but Berdych still believed the Czechs would prevail.
“They may have a better team, but we’re more experienced in Davis Cup,” Berdych said.
In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Austria’s hopes of a first win over their German hosts was set back when Philipp Kohlschreiber downed Jurgen Melzer 6-7 (4/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to even their tie at 1-1.
It was Kohlschreiber’s first win from two sets down.
Stefan Koubek beat German No. 1 Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the opener.
In Birmingham, Alabama, Andy Roddick beat Marco Chiudinelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) for the US to draw with Switzerland.
Stanislas Wawrinka beat James Blake 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), but admitted the Swiss were still the heavy underdogs without the injured Roger Federer.
“It’s going to be very difficult,” Wawrinka said. “In the rankings they are better, but I knew I needed to win the first match. It was very tough. It was a very important match for the rest of the weekend.”
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