ATP Cup: Austria after bitter defeat at the start under pressure
After the 0-3 defeat at the ATP Cup, the Austrian team has its back to the wall before the second encounter. A win against Argentina is now essential to maintain the chances of promotion.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Jan 04, 2020, 08:04 pm
Austria was not really lucky on the second day of the ATP Cup. Almost every important point went to the Croatians, who ultimately won 3-0. Even double player Nikola Mektic didn't really know how that could happen. "Nobody expected a 3-0 win here," said the 31-year-old after winning his double alongside Ivan Dodig.
In any case, the last encounter reflects the entire international match very well. Oliver Marach and Jürgen Melzer had plenty of chances especially in the first set, but among other things left two set balls unused on their own serve and finally snuck off the pitch as losers .
Cilic praised Novak
Dennis Novak, who performed excellently in the first game of the day and brought Marin Cilic to the brink of defeat, did not fare much better. By the middle of the second set, the world ranking was 108. even the better player felt on the pitch, but Novak was also only the second winner in the end.
"It was an incredible match. I was surprised myself that I played so well. Overall, it was a very good performance," said Novak after the encounter. The 2014 US Open winner was also impressed by the 26-year-old's performance: "Dennis played great and didn't make it easy for me."
At least the self-confidence at Novak should not have decreased before the duel with Argentina - with Dominic Thiem it could be different. The fourth in the world rankings performed too badly against Borna Coric and lost 6: 7 (4), 6: 2 and 3: 6 .
"It was a typical first match, too many ups and downs. Certain things were missing," said Thiem after his second loss to Coric. In the third sentence, I have to attribute it to myself. I let him take the initiative when it came to breaking chances. But it's okay for the first match. Everything else will come ", the Lichtenwörther hopes against Argentina for an increase in performance.
Losing prohibited
This will also be needed on Monday (from 7:30 a.m.CET, live on ServusTV). With Guido Pella and Diego Schwartzman, the South Americans are even better positioned individually than the Croatians, at least in terms of world rankings. In doubles, the Gauchos with Maximo Gonzalez and Andreas Molteni also have two experienced and strong players who secured the 2-1 win against Poland .
The task for Thomas Muster's team will not be any easier - especially since a victory is essential in the second international match to keep the chances of promotion intact. Only the six group winners and the two best group runners-up move into the quarter-finals. If you lost again, you would be practically eliminated.