A near-perfect week for Australia’s tennis males on the Davis Cup has crumbled on the ultimate day, as they endured two painful near-misses in a 2-1 defeat to hosts Spain in Valencia.
Captain Lleyton Hewitt mentioned he was happy with his group even in defeat, revealing the bodily lengths gamers went to to be able to entrance up for this week’s ties.
“We have had just a few guys this week fairly banged up — and it is solely actually our locker room is aware of that.
“It will have been very straightforward for just a few of my boys to not flip up this week, however they’ve come and so they placed on the inexperienced and gold, and finished completely every thing I’ve requested of them. I am tremendous proud.”
Purcell performed within the doubles in Tuesday’s opener towards France lower than three days after profitable at Flushing Meadows, however was struggling in Sunday’s deciding rubber alongside Matt Ebden as the previous Wimbledon champs went all the way down to a shock defeat.
“To try to ask gamers to play the second day after a grand slam finishes, it is not straightforward,” mentioned Hewitt.
“Within the previous (weekend solely) format, I used to must do it, however you’d at the very least have till the Friday earlier than you needed to play. Now to play on Tuesday, it is ridiculous.”
Hewitt additionally could not see any sense within the week-long, four-team group stage ending with two already-qualified groups taking part in what, to all intents and functions, was a lifeless rubber.
“That is the silly a part of this format, is not it? You recognize, I can hold saying it,” Hewitt mentioned.
“However the format is what it’s, and we’ll do what we have to do to get by way of and provides ourselves an opportunity of hopefully holding up the trophy.”
With each side’ place in November’s finals already safely booked after that they had received their ties towards France and the Czech Republic earlier within the week, there was, in idea, solely pleasure to play for within the closing group B conflict.
But it definitely did not really feel that approach as the house facet, even with out their rested famous person Carlos Alcaraz and cheered on by a wildly enthusiastic full-house within the Pabellon Fuente de San Luis, defied all the chances to battle to a win that ensured they topped the group.
Jordan Thompson had served for the match within the opening rubber, solely to go down 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) to veteran Spanish substitute, the a lot decrease ranked Pablo Carreno Busta, in what the Sydneysider described as an “extremely irritating” reverse.
However Spanish captain David Ferrer’s determination to relaxation Alcaraz for the battle of the groups’ high singles gamers then paved the best way for Alexei Popyrin to degree the tie with a reasonably routine, crowd-silencing 6-4, 6-4 victory over Pedro Martinez.
It arrange a doubles decider, with the Aussie pair of Matt Ebden and Max Purcell, who boast an impressive Davis Cup document, the recent favourites to prevail over the house duo of Marcel Granollers and Martinez.
With the chances stacked towards them, particularly with Martinez having to return again on courtroom so quickly after his defeat, issues regarded much more bleak for the Spaniards as they misplaced the opening set to the previous Wimbledon champs, Ebden and Purcell.
However impressed to new ranges by the din on the indoor hardcourt venue, 38-year-old Granollers, the world’s primary, helped the occasional doubles participant Martinez to a outstanding 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win.
AAP
