Aug. 18, 2004
Ram and Erlich reach final eight
Frankie Sachs

Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich started off slowly, but once they got going the Israelis proved unstoppable, overpowering their Russian opponents Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko 6—4, 6—1 Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic tennis tournament.

Wednesday evening they are scheduled to face Germans Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler, who eliminated the tournament’s second-seeded pair, Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge of Australia, 7—6 (6), 6—3.

Ram and Erlich caused some doubt for the many Israelis that showed up to see them in action when they lost their serve in the first game of the match and quickly found themselves down 0—2. However, they instantly regained confidence and broke the Russians back in the sixth game to even the score. From that point on, the eighth-seeded Israelis would not lose their serve for the rest of the hour-long encounter, while earning one more break in the tenth game to take the first set and two more in the second for a solid win.

After the win, the Israelis naturally assumed that the tough Australian team would await in the quarters, but soon the news reached Ram and Erlich that Kiefer and Schuettler held on to take the first set in a tiebreak. It wasn’t long after that that they realized their work would be cut out for them against the Germans as well.

Unlike the Swedes, Thomas Enqvist and Robin Soderling, who they defeated in the first round or the Russians yesterday, Kiefer and Schuettler are accomplished doubles players in addition to being two of the top 20 singles players in the world. They are ranked 39th in the ATP doubles team race, have also partnered each other in Davis Cup play, and have respectable entry ranks as well, 70 for Kiefer and 55 for Schuettler.

Ram and Erlich are still the superior team based on the ATP ranking 12th in the team race and 26 and 28 in the entry ranking, respectively but that won’t account for anything once the first ball is served.

Kiefer is still alive in the singles event and scheduled to face Russian Mikhail Youzhny earlier in the day, which could work to the Israelis advantage.