2023-09-15 15:34:36
Austria’s Davis Cup team made a false start in their home international match once morest Portugal in Schwechat on Friday. Jurij Rodionov had to admit defeat in the duel with the guests’ number one, Nuno Borges, following 2:08 hours with 6:7(4),6:3,3:6. Sebastian Ofner then had the chance to equalize once morest Joao Sousa following the first day.
The winner will play in the qualifying round at the beginning of February 2024 for a place in the Davis Cup final tournament (group phase) in the fall.
Rodionov went into the match as an underdog once morest Borges and, following a quick service loss to make it 0-2, fell 3-0 behind within eight minutes. At 1:4, Rodionov, cheered on by captain Jürgen Melzer and around 1,600 fans in the Multiverse, shook off his nervousness and equalized to 4:4. Left-hander Rodionov found his way into the game better and the first evenly matched round went into a tiebreak following 46 minutes. A 2-0 for the Lower Austrian turned into a 2-3, but from 4-3 onwards Rodionov was out of steam. After 53 minutes, Borges managed to win the set 7:4.
Rodionov also had to accept a break immediately in the second set, this time in the opening game. But Günter Bresnik’s protégé managed the rebreak to make it 2-2 following a 0-2 draw. Rodionov then played solidly and made fewer mistakes and managed to break the score to 5:3 in the eighth game. The Stuttgart native then served a clean sheet to make it 6:3 and tie the set.
In the third round, Borges managed the break to make it 3-1, but Rodionov was unable to take advantage of an opportunity for an immediate rebreak. And Austria’s number three, who was called up following Dominic Thiem’s cancellation, chased following this loss of service in vain.
Afterwards, Ofner almost had his back to the wall. Austria’s number one and, as number 59, also the best-placed player in the international competition had to avoid a potentially decisive 0-2 deficit following the first day.
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