ITF

"It gives motivation to me, I'm sure it gives motivation to the guys. It gives us belief as we are as strong as we were before and with even more experience of finals, and where we made mistakes, this makes us stronger." The form of 2014 US Open champion Cilic, a recent Wimbledon and Australian Open finalist, allied with that of former French Open doubles champion and winner of his last seven Saturday rubbers, Ivan Dodig, will also engender Krajan and his team with confidence ahead of their semifinal at home against the USA. Across the Atlantic, last year's beaten finalists Belgium travelled to Music City – Nashville, Tennessee – deprived of the tennis equivalent of their frontman and lead guitarist. With both Goffin and 'Mr Davis Cup', Steve Darcis, out with injuries, world No. 109 Ruben Bemelmans and No. 321-ranked Joris De Loore were tasked with leading the charge against a USA team boasting Isner and a pair of other Top 20 players in Sam Querrey and Jack Sock. The two Belgians, better known as doubles experts than exponents of singles, acquitted themselves admirably on the tie's opening day, but De Loore ultimately fell to world No. 9 Isner in four sets before Bemelmans went down to Querrey in straight sets. Sock and Ryan Harrison then wrapped up the tie for the Americans on Saturday. Looking ahead to playing Croatia in the semis, a team the USA has never beaten in four previous meetings, Courier remarked: "They get to choose the set-up, the surface, the location, all that stuff. I have my fingers crossed that my team is going to be in full health and full flight from the US summer series, and hopefully we'll have lots of momentum to work with." Regardless of the state of his team come September, Courier is certain to remind his charges that telling the ball what to do "a little bit better than the other side," not rankings, is the key to success. ■ B E L G I U M ABOVE: It was a frustrating three days for Fabio Fognini, shown here with Simone Bolelli BELOW: Mikhail Kukushkin upset the higher-ranked Borna Coric ITFWorld // SPRING 2018 19 "Your personal rankings don't matter here because you are competing for your country" M I K H A I L K U K U S H K I N K A Z A K H S TA N Ruben Bemelmans stepped up to No.1 singles player I TA LY

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