A convincing start: the Russian national tennis team beat Croatia at the start of the Davis Cup

Easy victory Rubleva and difficult - Khachanova

On the eve of the updated Davis Cup, the Russians lost their trump card - Daniil Medvedev finished the season after an unsuccessful performance at the final ATP tournament. Shamil Tarpishchev, captain of the national team, supported his decision, at the same time noting that without his leader the team is unlikely to be able to count on a good result. In the absence of the fifth racket of the world, Karen Khachanov, Andrei Rublev and Evgeny Donskoy had to defend the honor of the country.

It is worth noting that the current Davis Cup champions Croats also came to the competition not in the best squad. The best tennis player in Croatia, Marin Cilic, was forced to refuse to participate due to a knee injury. His place was taken by the 281st racket of the world, 21-year-old Borna Goyo.

Rublev had to open a confrontation with Goyo. Despite the small difference in age, the experience of the Russian played a role, and he had no problems in the match with the debutant of the competition. The match ended with a score of 6: 3, 6: 3 in favor of a native of Moscow. In 1 hour and 10 minutes, he completed four innings right through and realized four break points.

After the meeting, Rublev admitted that he did not feel the excitement, despite the responsibility assigned to him.

“I ended up in the locker room only 15 minutes before the game, somehow imbued with the atmosphere of the tournament. For the first match, we got a pretty good meeting. As a result, all this resulted in a confident account. But some moments could turn out differently. There was no feeling that everything is easy, ”said the tennis player on the air of Match TV.

In the absence of Cilic, the 15th racket of the world Born Choric took the place of the leader of the Croatian national team. It was with him that Karen Khachanov was to meet in the second match of the day. Last year’s Davis Cup winner brought a lot of problems to the opponent, gaining the upper hand in the first tie-break game. However, in a bitter struggle, the Russian still managed to break his resistance. He made one break in the second and third sets and reduced the game to victory - 6: 7, 6: 4, 6: 4.

Summing up the match, Khachanov noted the importance of a successful start for the entire team.

“When you play not only for yourself, but also for your country, you need to fight harder and more assertively. It was a tough match, and we both performed with dignity. In Madrid, we played for the first time on the paved court, and even in the opening match of the tournament, and this caused additional stress. It was important to ensure a good start. We had some opportunities and we realized them. I am very pleased with our victory, ”- quotes the tennis player on the official website of the Davis Cup.

Heavyweight doubles match

One of the main features of the tournament is that all meetings between teams at the group stage are held on the same day. Therefore, soon Khachanov and Rublev had to go on the court again in the doubles match, where experienced Nicola Mektic and Ivan Dodig became their rivals.

The start of the meeting was extremely unsuccessful for the Russians. More recent Croats managed to make a break and lead with a score of 4: 1. However, then Tarpishchev’s wards demonstrated strength of character and not only returned to the game, but also reduced the game to victory in a tie-break.

In the second set, Rublev and Khachanov had many chances to step forward and secure a comfortable ending to the meeting, however, the Croats were not going to give this match so easily. Opponents took their innings in turn and the game could again end in a tie-break. But when the score was 5-4 in favor of the Russians, Mektich made several mistakes on his pitch, which cost him a couple of victories.

Thus, the confrontation between Russia and Croatia ended with the score 3: 0. In group D, the Belgians defeated Colombia - 2: 1, and in group F Canada with the same result prevailed over Italy. The remaining teams will start the tournament on November 19.

Playoff fight and preparations for Spain

Recall that starting this season, the Davis Cup is held in a new format. 18 national teams, divided into six groups, fight for the quarter-finals for one week. In the playoffs of the tournament are the winners of each three, as well as two teams who took second places with the best performance.

The next rival of the Russians will be the hosts of the tournament Spaniards, whom many call one of the main favorites of the Davis Cup. It is assumed that Khachanov will meet with the first racket of the world, Rafael Nadal.

According to the finalist of the Roland Garros doubles Andrei Olkhovsky, it will not be easy for domestic tennis players to fight for the playoffs, but they will do everything possible to win.

“Of course, the main danger is the Spaniards. This is today one of the strongest teams. They have great couples, what else is needed for the team? But you can’t write off everyone else. As I said, the format is such that you need one point alone and a strong pair. And in matches of three sets, luck is more with those who are not a favorite, ”Olkhovsky quotes News.ru.