Australia, who were the runners-up in the previous year, advanced to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 victory against three-time champions Czech Republic. This win has set them up for a match against the unexpected contender, Finland, in this year’s competition.
The duo of Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell from Australia won 6-4, 7-5 against Jiri Lehecka and Adam Pavlasek, securing their team’s advancement. This came after Alex de Minaur’s victory of 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 against Lehecka, tying the match at 1-1.
Ebden expressed amazement at the live experience of their comeback win, stating he had only witnessed similar feats on TV in the past when teams were faced with adversity. He praised Alex for his remarkable contribution in giving them the opportunity to fight and ultimately secure the victory.
“I was speechless. We were indoors, realizing that we were just one game away from being eliminated, but we managed to win and advance to the semi-finals. We are incredibly proud of ourselves. This truly shows the strength of our team spirit and determination. I am eagerly anticipating our next game.”
The Czech team, who had a flawless 9-0 record in the Group Stage matches in September, aimed to defeat Australia for the first time since 1975. Tomas Machac secured a 6-4, 7-5 win against Jordan Thompson, giving the Czechs a 1-0 advantage.
However, it was not their day as Australia, who were defeated by Canada in the 2022 final, continued their pursuit for their 29th championship in the top men’s team event, inching closer to the United States who currently hold the record with 32 titles.
In the upcoming semi-final on Friday, Lleyton Hewitt’s team will face Finland, who are considered underdogs and managed to defeat Canada, the previous champions, the day before.
Machac, the Czech No 2, backed up an early break with a comfortable service game and withstood a strong fightback from Thompson at 5-4 in the first set of the opening match.
The two players were evenly matched in the second set, tied at 4-4. They both exchanged breaks before Machac pulled ahead and secured the win with a forehand shot.
Thanasi Kokkinakis was unable to participate in the finals for Australia due to an ankle injury.
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Afterwards, Lehecka, who made it to the quarter-finals in the Australian Open, successfully defended against five break points in the 10th game of the second singles match. He won the closely contested first set with a strong serve, but ultimately lost the next set as De Minaur made a late comeback in the tiebreak.
In the final set, 22-year-old Lehecka bounced back and had an opportunity to lead 4-2. However, De Minaur remained determined and gradually improved his performance, ultimately winning the match.
De Minaur stated that it would have been simple for him to give up given the circumstances, but he is not the type of player to do so. He always fights until the very end, and in this particular match, he was able to capitalize on a small opportunity. He believes his reputation in tough situations precedes him and may have contributed to his victory.
Italy and the Netherlands will face off, while Novak Djokovic’s Serbia will compete against Britain in a quarter-final double-header on Thursday.
Source: theguardian.com
