Lukashenko suggests establishing national tennis academy

The following day the duo of Mirny and Valchkow beat Simon Aspelin and Jonas Bjorkman 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles, renewing Belarus' hopes of a win in the best-of-five tie, BelaPAN reported.

Mr. Lukashenka said that all sports fans in the country were very happy at Saturday's “sensational” win. The tennis played by the Belarusians met a champion's level, he said. If the players show the same performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, they may clinch very high places, he added.

Mr. Valchkow promised that he and Maksim Mirny would try to make a “110-percent effort” to win the two remaining reverse singles matches.

However, Robin Soderling overcame Mr. Mirny 6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in a four-hour rubber, giving Sweden an insurmountable 3-1 lead. The 29-year-old Belarusian had two match points on the opponent's serve in the fourth set but then lost the set in a tie-break 7-3.

With Sweden securing the win, the remaining Valchkow vs Johansson match was only of academic interest. The 29-year-old Valchkow won 6-4, 7-5.

Belarus for the first time advanced to the 16-team tennis elite in 2003 after beating Germany and reached the Davis Cup semifinals the following year. In 2005, the team were sent to the relegation playoffs after a first-round away loss to Romania. Belarus survived relegation after defeating Canada in September.

In 2006, Belarus defeated visitors Spain but lost to Australia in Melbourne in the quarterfinals. Mr. Lukashenka promised the title of Hero of Belarus to Messrs. Mirny and Valchkow following their 4-1 win over Spain if they won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. The Belarusian leader presented Messrs. Mirny and Valchkow with pistols engraved with a complimentary inscription from the president.

Following a 5-0 victory over Argentina in a quarterfinal in April 2004, Mr. Lukashenka, as commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces, presented the players and captain Syarhey Tsyatseryn with officer's hangers. “This is a purely men's gift which is rarely presented. This is a token of men's honor and valor,” he said.

For their 3-2 victory over Russia in the first round two months before, Messrs. Mirny and Tsyatseryn were awarded the third-degree Order of the Fatherland, and Mr. Valchkow received the Order of Courage.