Sweden, flush from a surprise Davis Cup first round triumph over holders Australia at the weekend, are confident of repeating the feat in the quarter-finals against the United States.
"I think we will have just as good a chance as we had here," Swedish captain Mats Wilander told Swedish radio after his team thrashed Australia 4-1 in Adelaide.
"It's good to play these strong nations (Australia and the United States) away because our guys become better, more united, as a team and there's slightly less pressure than when we're at home," Wilander said.
Sweden and the United States are tied at 3-3 since the World Group was introduced in 1981.
"Of course we can beat the Americans," Jonas Bjorkman told Swedish daily Expressen.
Doubles specialist Bjorkman thrashed world number nine Mark Philippoussis in straight sets in Sunday's reverse singles tie to give Sweden an unbeatable 3-1 lead.
He and Joachim Johansson had overcome Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge in a gruelling five-set doubles match on Saturday.
Bjorkman has never lost a Davis Cup rubber against the U.S.
He won both his singles and the doubles in Sweden's 5-0 win over the United States in the 1997 Davis Cup final, the doubles in Sweden's 4-1 loss in the 1995 semi-finals and the doubles in Sweden's 3-2 victory in the 1994 semi-finals.
Wilander said it was hard to tell if the U.S. Davis Cup team were better than the Australians, who fielded Philippoussis, 27, and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, 22, in the singles and Woodbridge and Arthurs, both 32,
YOUNG AMERICANS
"Above all they are younger as a Davis Cup team. They haven't won the Davis Cup, they don't know what that means," the Swedish captain said.
Beating Austria 5-0 in the first round, the United States relied on 21-year-olds Andy Roddick, the world number three, and Robby Ginepri in the singles with 25-year-old twins Mike and Bob Bryan playing the doubles.
"We should use it to our advantage that they'll think they've swept the whole Davis Cup tie if they win the opening singles rubber," Wilander said.
It was not certain whether he would pick the same players that defeated Australia -- Thomas Enqvist, Robin Soderling, Joachim Johansson and Bjorkman -- for the quarter-final.
"Thomas Johansson is up and coming and we also have Andreas Vinciguerrra. The team will take shape depending on the surface," Wilander said.
As hosts, the Americans have the right to choose venue and surface. They have won seven of their 10 Davis Cup ties against Sweden overall. The tally on grass is 3-0, on hardcourt 1-0, on clay 1-1 and on carpet 2-2.
The United States top the all-time scoreboard with 31 Davis Cup titles. Sweden have won the competition seven times -- with Bjorkman on the winning team in 1994, 1997 and 1998. Wilander played in six Davis Cup finals between 1983 and 1989 with Sweden winning in 1984, 1985 and 1987.
