Days two and three will decide each of the Davis Cup World Group semifinals, as both ties are deadlocked at 1-1 following Friday’s singles action. Visiting nations Australia and Argentina both bounced back from early deficits to win the second rubbers at the expense of Great Britain and Belgium, respectively.
In Glasgow, Scotland, Andy Murray put the host Brits in front with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 rout of 19-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis. A much more competitive affair saw Bernard Tomic hold off Dan Evans 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-4. Tomic twice failed to serve out the match–once in the third set and again in the fourth–before finally getting the job done with a love hold in the 10th game of set four.
“It isn’t my decision,” Murray said when asked about Great Britain’s doubles lineup for Saturday against the Australian duo of Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt. “It’s up to the captain to decide that. Obviously now I have the option to be picked because that match was quick. We’ll talk about it this evening.”
Tomic-Evans highlights:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRhREjz7qTQ]
Playing at home in Brussels, Belgium got off to a quick start when David Goffin defeated Federico Delbonis 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-3. Argentina responded thanks to Leonardo Mayer’s 7-6(5), 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-3 win over Steve Darcis.
“It was a tough one,” Goffin assured. “The atmosphere was amazing here. It’s tough to stay focused. At the end, I won in three sets so I’m happy the way I won today. I kept my level really high to finish the match. I’m really happy.”
Goffin’s on-court interview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpYacERuSfc]
Elsewhere around the world, eight playoff ties are taking place as 16 teams are vying for spots in the 2016 World Group. In Uzbekistan, the host country is tied 1-1 with the United States. In a back-and-forth thriller to open the proceedings, Denis Istomin was unable to serve out the match in the fourth set then came back from 5-3 down in the fifth to beat American Steve Johnson 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-5. Jack Sock tied things up by making much more routine work of Farrukh Dustov 7-5, 6-3, 6-2
“I knew I had to kind of buckle down and try and try and get us a win,” Sock commented. “I was able to do it, thankfully in three sets–get in and get out.”
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