Kazakhstan’s tennis lovers are in for a treat this week as their national team takes on Switzerland for a place in the elite World Group of the Davis Cup, the men's international team tournament. The team's rapid rise in international standings has come in an unusual way. Rather than waiting for homegrown talent to emerge, Kazakhstan has poached a number of middle-ranking Russian players, given them Kazakh passports and – presto – suddenly has a team that can take on the best in the world.
Russian-born Andrey Golubev, who was languishing in the twilight zone of Russian tennis before he got his big break and Kazakh passport in 2008, will lead Kazakhstan's charge. Since emigrating he has steadily climbed the world rankings to stand at 39. In July he won his first tournament, the German Open in Hamburg.
On the way to the threshold of the top sixteen teams in the world, Kazakhstan recently brushed aside China and South Korea. Hopes are high that home advantage will give the team an edge over the Swiss in the match, to be played in Astana's National Tennis Center from September 17-19.
Leading Switzerland's challenge is world number 20, Stanislas Wawrinka, fresh from a quarterfinal appearance in last week's US Open. Wawrinka is likely to be the biggest obstacle to Kazakhstan's chances of progressing to the World Group.
Paul Bartlett is a journalist based in Almaty.
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