The first day of the Group Stage in the four venues had a first winner with France, which defeated Switzerland 3-0, a result that Chile repeated shortly after against Sweden, and Serbia with South Korea after suffering in a doubles procedure until the tiebreak of the last set. On the other hand, we had to wait for the doubles to decide the first winner of group D, since the duel between Holland and Finland was even after the singles.
Group C: Serbia receives Djokovic this Wednesday, with two days to prepare for a key duel against Spain
The Serbians Nikola Cacic and Miomir Kecmanovic beat the Koreans Jisung Nam and MinKyu Song (3-6, 6-4 and 7-6 (5)) in the doubles match to make the final 3-0 in the series on the first day of the final phase of group C of the Davis Cup in Valencia, in a tough game that was decided in the tiebreaker after one hour and 56 minutes.
Nam and Song started the first set very confident, but they found the response from the Serbs, equalizing each game until from 2-3 they put distance up to 2-5 and, despite a reaction from Cacic and Kecmanovic, they ended up winning 3- 6.
But Serbia wanted to finish the series with full victories and reacted to take the match to a long, tough and even third set that Cacic and Kecmanovic won in the tie-break in a match in which the Koreans displayed worked and decisive plays, but the Balkans imposed their status as favorites.
Before this victory, Laslo Djere sealed Serbia’s victory by winning the second singles point against Soon Woo Kwon (4-6, 6-2 and 6-2) after a comeback in a first day of competition that It was inaugurated by the duel between Dusan Lajovic and Seong Chan Hong (6-4 and 7-6 (3)).
Serbia’s next confrontation, which will already feature Novak Djokovic in the Valencian capital, which is expected this Wednesday at noon (they train from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in La Fonteta), will be this Friday against Spain, a match that seems key for Balkan interests, while Korea’s match will be against the Czech Republic this Thursday.
Group A: Barrios and Tabilo round out the 3-0 for Chile against Sweden; Canada and Italy, this Wednesday
In the doubles match, Marcelo Barrios and Alejandro Tabilo rounded off Chile’s good day, which beat Sweden 3-0 in Group A of the Davis Cup. based in Bologna.
The South American team captained by Nicolás Massu had a successful performance in its second appearance in the group stage of the tournament.. Barrios and Tabilo beat the Swedes Andre Goeransson and Filip Bergevi 6-4 and 7-5, after one hour and twenty-one minutes.
Chile is placed with a match won in the group completed by Canada, current champion, and Italy and is played at the Unipol Arena in Bolona.
The victory in the doubles joins that of Nicolás Jarry, who beat Elias Ymer 6-2 and 6-4, and Cristian Garín, who delivered in the opening match against Leo Borg with a victory 7-6 (6), 3-6 and 7 -5.
Group B: France defeats Switzerland (3-0); turn for Australia and Great Britain
The French team had no problems defeating Switzerland (3-0) on the first day of the group stage of the Davis Cup. Group B of the competition, which takes place in Manchester (England), began this Tuesday with the tie between the French and the Swiss, which the Frenchmen leaned towards their side thanks to the triumphs of Adrian Mannarino and Ugo Humbert, in the individual duels , and Nicolás Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the doubles.
Mannarino began the day with a comeback (3-6, 6-1 and 6-4) against the young Dominic Stricker, who played a great US Open, where he reached the round of 16, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas along the way. It was the only set that the French would lose all day.
The Swiss won the first set, in which he only gave up five points on serve, but he collapsed in the second (6-1) and in the third he was always behind on the scoreboard and did not generate a single ball of rip.
Mannarino, 35, paved the way for Humbert to seal the tie with a 6-4 double against Stan Wawrinka. The veteran winner of three Grand Slams committed up to 33 unforced errors and could not contain the Frenchman’s 22 ‘winners’, which put his team at the top of group B.
And the victory was complete thanks to the doubles match, in which Roger-Vasselin and Mahut beat Wawrinka and Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-2 and 6-2.
This Wednesday, Alex de Minaur’s Australia and Andy Murray’s Great Britain will begin the competition.
Group D: The doubles gives the Netherlands the victory against Finland; now Croatia versus the United States
The doubles formed by Matwe Middelkoop and Wesley Koolhof gave the victory to the Netherlands, which came back against Finland and straightened out a complicated day, in the opening match of Group D of the Davis Cup, based in Split.
Middelkoop and Koolhof beat Patrik Niklas, who replaced Emils Ruususuvori, initially set for the crash, and Salminen Harri Helioevaara by 6-4, 6-7 (5) and 6-3, in two hours and seven minutes, and gave victory to Paul Haarhuis’ team at the Arena Gripe Sports Centre, where Croatia and the United States will take action on Wednesday, that complete the quartet.
The doubles confirmed the comeback of the Netherlands, which began the day with a defeat because Otto Virtanten beat Botic Van de Zandschulp 7-6 (0) and 6-4.
However, The Dutch team balanced the series in the duel between the numbers one of both teams. Tallon Griekspoor beat Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6 (7) and 6-3, and soured Finland’s Davis Cup group stage debut.