Serbia dominated Great Britain in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup in Málaga, securing a 2-0 victory on Thursday evening to advance to the final four.
In a crucial match between the top two singles players, Miomir Kecmanovic put on an impressive performance to beat Jack Draper 7-6(2), 7-6(6) in a fiercely contested game, earning the first point for Serbia. The world’s top player, Novak Djokovic, then secured victory for Serbia with a confident 6-4, 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie.
Although Djokovic easily won the match, there were some issues as he had confrontations with fans. He blew a kiss to a British fan after winning the first set, but later had a disagreement with a group of British fans who were making noise during his post-match interview. He expressed his frustration, saying, “Learn to show respect to players and people. Be quiet and stop making noise.”
Draper’s first match was a pivotal moment in his early career, testing his nerves and skills against a formidable opponent on a significant stage with Djokovic looming in the following match. As the Serbian team does not have a strong doubles player, Kecmanovic’s performance in the opener was also a monumental moment for him, as he played with inspiration and precision for almost two hours.
Draper stated that he had prepared diligently and his daily training had been exceptional. However, he fell short in today’s match. He believes he gave his best effort mentally, though there were a few areas where he could have performed better. He acknowledged that his opponent played a great match and took away a positive message from his coach, Leon Smith, who reminded him that giving your all is what matters in the sport. Draper accepted that setbacks happen and he will continue to work hard moving forward.
The Serbia team captain, Viktor Troicki, had the option of selecting one of three players who were in or close to the top 50 rankings: Laslo Djere, Dusan Lajovic, and Kecmanovic. Despite this, he chose to go with Kecmanovic, who was the lowest-ranked among them. Kecmanovic, a former junior No 1 and only 24 years old, has a greater potential than his more experienced teammates. He also faced just as much pressure as Draper and had a lot to prove.
As they entered the packed Palacio de los Deportes, a crowd of 9,000 with a significant number of British fans, Draper showed no signs of being intimidated by the event. He quickly served three aces in a row.
However, Kecmanovic displayed better precision. He possessed a balanced skill set as a reliable baseliner and a strong athlete, allowing him to handle Draper’s speed and spin effortlessly. He was able to quickly change direction from both sides and enhanced his dominance from the baseline with accurate serves. Kecmanovic’s consistent returns immediately caused Draper to feel the weight of pressure on his own serve.
The British player persevered through several challenging and close service games in order to make it to the tie-break. However, once there, Draper struggled and ultimately lost due to two nervous double faults. Kecmanovic, on the other hand, remained strong and focused in order to win the set.
After a disappointing finale to the first set, Draper rebounded and played strongly. He maintained a comfortable lead throughout the set and put up a tough fight in the tie-break. However, Kecmanovic remained steady and composed until the end.
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Draper stated that he experienced fluctuations in his physical state, as nerves often have a tendency to do. Despite this, he ensured that he put himself in the best position to remain in the match and created opportunities for himself. Ultimately, he believes that he was defeated by a superior player.
After Djokovic ended his personal season with a victory at the ATP Finals, he continued his winning streak by confidently closing the tie.
In both collections, Djokovic took an early lead by breaking Norrie’s serve and faced little difficulty in his own service games until the end of each set. With his accurate serving, strong returns, defensive skills, and control of the baseline, the top-ranked player outmatched Norrie, who put up a strong fight but lacked the abilities to consistently challenge Djokovic.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the year,” stated Smith, the captain of Great Britain’s Davis Cup team.
“I believe Cameron brought to my attention last night the idea of reflecting on our journey from Bogota to Manchester. Although we have been defeated in the quarter-finals, our record for this year stands at four wins and one loss. Overall, it has been a successful year.”
On Saturday, Serbia and Italy will face off in the semi-finals, with Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, who previously competed in the ATP Finals, set to meet for the third time within 11 days.
On Thursday, Sinner maintained his impressive performance, guiding Italy to the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory against the Netherlands.
Source: theguardian.com
