#5 - JRL 7251
RUSSIA'S NATIONAL TENNIS TEAM RETAINED SECOND PLACE IN DAVIS CUP RATING LIST

LONDON, July 15. (from a RIA Novosti correspondent) -- The national tennis team of Russia has retained second place in the rating list of the world team championship - the Davis Cup. This became known after the International Tennis Federation published its new rating list on the day before.

According to this list, the national team of France is, as before, the best tennis power house. It boasts 31,625.00 points. It is followed by the Russians who have 24,942.50 points, with Australia being very close to it (23,125.00).

Figuring among the top ten are also 4. Spain (15,562.50 points), 5. Argentina (12,085.00), 6. Switzerland (10,218.80), 7. Sweden (7,312.50), 8. the US (6,942.50), Croatia (5,012.50), and the Netherlands (4,875.00).

Compared with the previous rating list, changes occurred only in the bottom part of the top ten teams: the Croats pressed the Dutch away to the tenth place, replacing them in the ninth line.

Russia's national team failed to retain the Silver Salad Bowl, the main trophy of the Davis Cup competition, which it won last December in the final match against the national team of France. In the second round of the current competition the Russians were overpowered by Argentina 0-5, and will play their next Davis Cup match not earlier than in February 2004.