Daniilidou takes the women’s national tennis team back up
The women’s national tennis team defeated Finland last Saturday and returned to the second division of the Europe/Africa Zone of the Fed Cup. Playing in Malta, Greece beat Finland 3-0 to complete a perfect set of four games and finish top of its Group III Pool A. Greece and Finland entered the tie with three wins each, so the clash was like a final for promotion. They had both beaten Malta, Ireland and Algeria. Lena Daniilidou easily dismissed Pia Suomalainen 6-1, 6-1, while Anna Gerasimou played a close match with Emma Laine, losing the first set 6-1 and winning the other two 7-6 (9-7) and 7-5 in a three-hour battle. In the doubles, Daniilidou and Irini Georgatou defeated Cecilia Estlander and Heini Salonen 6-1, 6-1 to ensure Greece would return to Group II of the Europe/Africa Zone of the Fed Cup. In the Davis Cup, the men’s national team today begins its effort to emulate the women’s success and rise one division. In Istanbul, Greece will face Turkey, Madagascar and Rwanda, hoping to finish in the top two of its pool and reach the final group that will give two teams promotion to Group II over the weekend. The Greek team consists of Constantinos Economidis, Alexander Jakupovic and Dimitris Kleftakos.
