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2018 Davis Cup 1st Round, Rubber 1 Pat Rafter Arena, Queensland Tennis Centre, QLD Alex De Minaur vs Alexander Zverev |
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Alex De Minaur will make his Davis Cup debut in the first match against Germany, dealt the difficult task of world No.5 Alexander Zverev. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1pm (AEDT).
De Minaur is coming off an incredible summer and as long as he has recovered from a clear abdominal issue during his loss at the Australian Open, he is half a chance of pulling off an upset here.
While Zverev in a Davis Cup tie would be the biggest scalp of his career, the 18-year-old dealt with some big-name players during the summer.
He kicked things off at the Brisbane International with a run to the semi-final, defeating Milos Raonic and Steve Johnson on the way, before going all the way to the final in Sydney, beating Fernando Verdasco, Damir Dzumhur, Feliciano Lopez and Benoit Paire.
The young Aussie was bundled out of the Australian Open in four sets by Tomas Berdych, looking tired as he struggled with injury.
Zverev was ranked No.4 before the Australian Open, his form was less than impressive as he took four sets to beat Peter Gojowczyk, then lost to the giant-killing Hyeon Chung, who eventually made the semi-finals of the first grand slam for the year.
It’s not all bad news for Zverev, who displayed solid touch in the first round and at the Hopman Cup, and as Germany’s No.1 player, he is expected to win here.
The problem for Zverev is that De Minaur’s defensive skills are on a similar level to that of Chung.
The match-up suits De Minaur much more than the one against Berdych as well, with a lot less power coming from the other end of the court. It will give him time to get into rallies and if he can do that, it could be anyone’s match.
That said, Zverev’s ability at the net will hand him a distinct advantage as the match moves into the second and third sets.
Prediction
It’s hard to see Zverev losing, but he won’t have it easy.
Zverev in five sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the first Davis Cup tie between Australia and Germany from 1pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment below.