[Brian Swartz]

World Team Cup Playoffs

** Argentina (4th) vs. Switzerland (25th)

After being relegated down the Level 2 in a playoff against Sweden last year, Argentina tries to bounce back up. Switzerland is facing their first relegation battle since promoting to the top tier a decade ago. Both countries stay where they are in a 4-1 win for the Swiss; the singles look relatively even on paper but they won the doubles and got a surprising close win in #2 singles matchup as well.

** Chile (28th) vs. Norway (15th)

Chile's been facing relegation challenges roughly every other year for a while now, but has stayed up at the top tier each time. Norway was sent down a couple of years ago, lost in a promotion attempt against Poland last year, and this year gets blanked again, 5-0 in their try at getting back up. They have a couple of solid Top 100 singles players, but neither of them are close to the Top 50 so it looks like they're just a cut below where they need to be. Chile easily survives yet again.

** Great Britain (6th) vs. Australia (19th)

A 4th straight year for Great Britain trying to promote; the last three years they have been undefeated champions of Level 2 but had only close losses to Russia and Chile to show for it. Australia was in Level 3 a couple of years ago but appears to be on their way up; they are also seeking promotion and were the Level 2 finalists. Another close matchup, but Great Britain breaks through here 3-2. They take the doubles and while their declining #2 singles didn't get any wins, 8th-ranked Chris King got two of them including a five-setter to clinch it against rising 22-year-old Jason Abercrombie. In the long run Australia might actually be better, and they could well be promoting themselves next year. For now though, it's the Brits moving on up.

** Mexico (18th) vs. Sweden (14th)

Two long-time Level 1 nations go at it here, and one of them would not survive. Mexico hasn't faced nearly as many relegation battles as Sweden recently; the latter pretty much has it as an annual tradition, having survived three in a row. They didn't make it four, ending on the short end of a close 3-2 count. Past their prime are the top singles players for each country, Raul Ramirez (23rd) for Mexico and Patrik Rask (27th) for Sweden. Rask got the better of that matchup and accounts for both of his country's wins, but the #2 singles and doubles matchups both went to Mexico. All five rubbers were straight-sets affairs, and Mexico stays up.

Great Britain up, Sweden down for the top tier. Down at Level 3, our nemesis of the last couple of seasons, Ukraine, promotes with a 4-1 win over Latvia. Tunisia, Level 3 champions this year, also goes up at the expense of Georgia, 3-2. An unusual set of matchups as the Level 2 nations were all matched against each other and the Level 3 ones as well, instead of being more mixed. Belarus and Thailand are relegated. Thailand at least is well deserving of it and and not nearly as good as the promoting countries.