TENNIS NEWS – MAYER RESCUES ARGENTINA AS DEL POTRO SITS, & ANDY MURRAY PULLED THRU HIS MATCH, & CROATIA FINISHES OFF FRANCE TO REACH DAVIS CUP FINAL

Written by: Staff on 18th September 2016

TENNIS NEWS - MAYER RESCUES ARGENTINA AS DEL POTRO SITS, & ANDY MURRAY PULLED THRU HIS MATCH, & CROATIA FINISHES OFF FRANCE TO REACH DAVIS CUP FINAL

epa05546458 Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in action against Daniel Evans of Britain during the Tennis Davis Cup semi final tie between Britain and Argentina in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, 18 September 2016. EPA/ROBERT PERRY |

Mayer rescues Argentina as Del Potro sits, Croatia finishes off France to reach Davis Cup final

By Ricky Dimon

No Juan Martin Del Potro. No problem. Such was the unexpected story for Argentina on the final day of its Davis Cup semifinal against Great Britain. Leonardo Mayer filled in for Del Potro and won the decisive fifth rubber, beating Daniel Evans 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The Argentines are now through to the Davis Cup final for the first time since 2011 and will travel to Croatia in November.

Andy Murray of Britain in action against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during the Tennis Davis Cup semi final between Britain and Argentina in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, 16 September 2016. EPA/ROBERT PERRY

Del Potro was shelved from singles after a curious decision by the visiting team to play him in Saturday’s doubles match less than 24 hours after he upset Andy Murray 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the tie’s opening contest. That epic battled lasted five hours and seven minutes, and the 2009 U.S. Open champion also spent two hours and 55 minutes on the court during Saturday’s 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss with Mayer to the Murray brothers.

Running on fumes, himself, Murray stumbled through Sunday’s first singles match. Although he looked far less than 100 percent, the world No. 2 had enough in the tank to take care of Guido Pella 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

That seemed to set the stage for Great Britain to complete an improbable comeback from 2-0 down and leave Argentinian captain Daniel Orsanic scrambling to explain his lineup decisions. An in-form Evans took the court for the host nation against a slumping Mayer, who has plunged to No. 114 in the world mostly due to injury and had not played an ATP-level tournament since mid-July.

Instead, Murray’s win in the fourth rubber paved the way for Mayer to become an unlikely hero.

The 29-year-old bounced back from a slow start to overpower Evans in two hours and 44 minutes. Mayer fired 31 winners to his opponent’s 20 and finished with 15 aces. After dropping his second service game of the match, Mayer never again got broken.

“Leo’s match was something we believed could happen, but I think it was a great effort from his part,” Orsanic explained. “He came out with his best tennis, with the tennis we used to see, with the tennis that made him win a lot of Davis Cup matches and that’s why we believed in him for the last match, especially on [a slow indoor hard court].

“It’s a very special moment for the whole team. It was a great victory to beat Great Britain here in Glasgow. It means a lot.”

Leonardo Mayer (L) of Argentina celebrates with his team members after defeating Daniel Evans of Britain during the Tennis Davis Cup semi final tie between Britain and Argentina in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, 18 September 2016. EPA/ROBERT PERRY

The home team took care of business on the other side of the draw, as Crotia scraped past France 3-1 after Marin Cilic defeated Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday afternoon in Zadar, Croatia. Cilic blasted 14 aces to Gasquet’s two while recording eight more winners and 15 fewer unforced errors.

Now 5-0 in his last five Davis Cup rubbers since blowing a two-set lead against American Jack Sock in the quarterfinals, Cilic emerged victorious in three matches this weekend. The world No. 11 rolled over Lucas Pouille and Friday and won a huge four-set doubles rubber on Saturday with Ivan Dodig at the expense of Indian Wells, Miami, and Wimbledon champions Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

“We are still pinching ourselves, that’s how excited we are with the result,” said captain Zelko Krajan. “Our passionate fans made all the difference and that’s why we chose to play in Zadar. So did Cilic, who emerged as the leader of this generation and he catapulted us to victory against the French. We are very difficult to beat when we are at full strength.”