GREAT BRITAIN 0, ARGENTINA 2
Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow, GBR (hard – indoor)
Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback has been worth the wait. In the latest of a string of high-quality, dramatic performances from the ‘Tower of Tandil’, del Potro gave Argentina a crucial 1-0 lead over reigning champion Great Britain in the Davis Cup semi-finals as he defeated Andy Murray 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in a match lasting five hours and seven minutes. In the second rubber, left-hander Guido Pella overcame a hot start from #NextGen star Kyle Edmund to prevail 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
“It’s amazing. Amazing. I really enjoyed the match,” del Potro told DavisCup.com. “He is a ridiculous player, a fighter, a great champion. I was trying to find a way. I played good forehands and good serves, that was key.
“I am so tired. My legs are so, so tight. But I will have a good massage and I will be ready for tomorrow or after tomorrow.”
The 27-year-old del Potro has been steadily building momentum since returning to the ATP World Tour in February after being sidelined for almost a year following wrist surgery. The right-hander clinched a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, falling to Murray in the final, before mounting a run to the US Open quarter-finals, where he lost an emotional contest with eventual champion Stan Wawrinka.
Last year, Great Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936, defeating Belgium in the final in Ghent. Argentina is bidding to reach the Davis Cup final for the first time since 2011 (l. to Spain). Del Potro got his country off to the best possible start as his booming forehand ultimately made the difference in the fifth set against Murray. The Tandil native had refused to give up after dropping the third-set tie-break, breaking Murray in the fourth game of the fourth set to force a decider.
Murray struck 35 aces in the contest, but it still wasn’t enough to keep del Potro at bay. The Scot fended off break point in the fifth game, but could not dig himself out of a 0/40 hole in the seventh game. On his third break point chance, del Potro chased down an apparent winning volley from Murray to strike a running forehand winner. Murray hit four aces in the ninth game as he saved a match point, but could not deny del Potro serving out the victory in the following game.
Edmund broke Pella in the Argentine’s opening service game, but only took his opponent’s serve once more before falling in three hours. It was an even matchup on paper, with Edmund No. 55 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and Pella ranked six spots higher. However, the Argentine got more out of his game on the day, landing 70 per cent of first serves and breaking serve six times. Edmund came out firing and finished with 36 winners, but was undone by 50 unforced errors.
“I can’t talk right now. I’m very happy. I’m very happy to give my team the second point,” Pella told DavisCup.com. “Juan Martin del Potro played an amazing match and I know this was a chance for me today. I was fighting every point, no matter what. That was the key.”
CROATIA 1, FRANCE 1
Venue: Kresimir Cosic Hall, Zadar, CRO (hard – indoor)
Richard Gasquet gave France an early lead in the Davis Cup semi-finals as he defeated Croatia’s #NextGen star Borna Coric 6-2, 7-6(5), 6-1. Marin Cilic then levelled the tie for the hosts by beating Lucas Pouille 6-1, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 in Friday’s second rubber in Zadar.
The 30-year-old Gasquet notched his 12th Davis Cup singles win as he struck 27 winners and benefitted from 37 unforced errors from the 19-year-old Coric, who is playing in just his eighth Davis Cup tie. The teenager was the hero for his country in July’s quarter-finals, when he defeated Jack Sock over four sets in the deciding fifth rubber to give Croatia victory over the United States.
World No. 17 Gasquet is looking to lead France to its second Davis Cup final in three years. France finished runner-up to Switzerland two years ago, but is a nine-time winner of the ITF men’s team competition, most recently in 2001.
Under pressure to put together a strong performance and draw the host team level, Cilic turned the heat up against the young Frenchman Pouille, a recent quarter-finalist at the US Open (l. to Monfils). Cilic fired 11 aces and hit 30 winners to his opponent’s 15 in the three-hour win. The 2014 US Open champion mastered the indoor conditions, winning 17 of 20 trips to the net. Pouille fought gamely in the second and third sets but faltered late, double-faulting on match point to close out the first day of play.
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