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Australia knocked out of Davis Cup, face September relegation

Roar Guru
4th February, 2018
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Nick Kyrgios is the Australian Australians love to hate-love. (AFP / Greg Baker)
Roar Guru
4th February, 2018
1

Australia will fight for its Davis Cup survival after the US Open in September after losing to Germany 3-1 in their first-round tie in Brisbane.

The draw conducted on Thursday saw 18-year-old sensation Alex de Minaur drawn up against world number five Alexander Zverev in the first rubber, and he certainly did not disappoint in his Davis Cup debut.

The recent Sydney International finalist lived up to the hype, breaking the German as he was serving for the first set at 5-3, before losing it 7-5.

He would break once in each of the next two sets to take a two-sets-to-one lead going into the fourth set, and a massive upset loomed.

But the turning point of the match came when Zverev complained about the loud cheering from the Fanatics (an Australian group of fans who travel the world to cheer on their heroes at various sporting events) at three-all in the fourth set.

It fired him up as he went on to take the final three games of the set and level the match at two sets all.

After de Minaur held to start the final set, he would break Zverev for a 2-0 lead in the final set, and then had a chance to go up a double break, however, the German would hold that game and then break back to make it three-all.

There were no further breaks in the set, and it went to a tiebreak (under new rules approved in September 2015, a tiebreak is now used in the final set rather than advantage set), which Zverev would win by seven points to four.

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Alexander Zverev hits a backhand

(Image: Steven Pisano/ CC BY 2.0)

That put Germany 1-0 up in the tie, but Nick Kyrgios would hit back for the Aussies, defeating Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets to level things at one-all at the end of the first day.

Saturday’s doubles saw the Germans pull off a surprise before play got underway, with Struff named in place of Peter Gojowczyk to partner Tim Putz.

It paid off as they went on to defeat the Australian pairing of Matt Ebden and John Peers in five sets, losing two sets in tiebreaks. That put them up 2-1 going into yesterday’s reverse singles, with a chance to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2014.

It all came down to Kyrgios, a seasoned Davis Cup performer, to level the tie and force a one-rubber shootout between de Minaur and Struff.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old Canberran couldn’t lift his country, going down to Zverev in straight sets and surrendering the tie, meaning the Aussies now risk elimination from the World Group when they face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the week following the US Open in September.

Nick Kyrgios

(AFP / Greg Baker)

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Zverev’s win, his best so far this year, meant the fifth and final match between de Minaur and Struff was not played.

It sends the Germans into the quarter-finals, and, regardless of the final result between Great Britain and Spain, they will travel for that tie (as things stand, Spain leads 2-1 going into the overnight reverse singles) which will be played in April.

While this was the last we’ll see of the male tennis players until 2019, the Australian summer of tennis concludes next weekend with Australia hosting Ukraine in the Fed Cup World Group II tie in Canberra.

The Australian side will be led by Daria Gavrilova and Ashleigh Barty, while the visitors will be without recent Australian Open quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina, which should give the hosts a psychological boost.

The last time the two countries met, which was only twelve months ago, Svitolina marshalled her country’s victory with singles wins over Barty and Gavrilova on home soil, sending her side into the World Group play-offs where they eventually lost to Germany 3-2.

Now, it’s the Aussies’ turn for hosting rights and there is no doubt that revenge will be on their minds as they attempt to break back into the World Group for the first time since 2015.

They will again have to do it without Samantha Stosur as she enters the twilight of her career, but will have Casey Dellacqua and Destanee Aiava in their side.

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After last year’s tie was played on indoor clay, this year’s will be on outdoor grass, which should suit Barty in particular given she is a former junior Wimbledon champion.

A full preview of that tie will be provided once the draw is conducted later this week.

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