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Kafelnikov, Olhovskiy Keep Russia Alive Against Germany

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<i> Associated Press</i>

Russia kept its hopes for a first Davis Cup title alive Saturday when Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovskiy outlasted Boris Becker and Michael Stich in a five-set slugfest to cut Germany’s lead in the semifinal to 2-1.

The Russians sent the match to today’s decisive reverse singles with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 2-6, 6-7 (7-5), 7-5 victory. After blowing a two-set lead and falling behind, 4-2, in the final set, the Russians broke Becker to pull even at 4-4 and then won when Stich netted a backhand at match point in the decisive game.

Kafelnikov, ranked sixth in the world, can tie the match with a victory over the fourth-ranked Becker today. The second reverse singles will pit Andrei Chesnokov, a four-set loser to Becker on Friday, against Stich.

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The winner advances to the final against the United States or Sweden in December.

Stich said Kafelnikov returned “just unbelievably” to help break him in the fifth set.

“It’s not like we played bad or were missing easy balls in that last set,” Stich said. “It’s just that they were making every shot.”

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