GOFFIN, DARCIS HELP BELGIUM BEAT AUSSIES, ENTER FINAL
BRUSSELS: David Goffin and Steve Darcis staged a thrilling comeback on Sunday to take Belgium into their second Davis Cup final in three years with a 3-2 victory over Australia. World number 12 Goffin, playing some of the best tennis of his career, defeated world number 20 Nick Kyrgios 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on the clay, weathering some blistering serves from the Australian that neared the 230-kph mark.
“It’s incredible... It was the match of my career in the Davis Cup so far,” an elated Goffin told reporters after levelling the match 2-2.
Darcis, a Davis Cup hero in Belgium, clinched the victory with a 6-4 7-5 6-2 win over late replacement Jordan Thompson to put his side into November’s final against France, who completed a 3-1 win over Serbia earlier on Sunday.
“It’s a big week for me but it was an unbelievable win save both, serving out with an ace.
The Indian grew in confidence and put up a much better fight in the second set as he served two games to love. The chip and for David, I’ve never seen him play that good,” said Darcis, who has won four out of his five Davis Cup singles in the run to the final. Australia started the final day 2-1 up after winning Saturday’s doubles and Kyrgios looked the favourite, silencing the Belgian crowd by hitting 10 aces in the first set and winning the tiebreak. Goffin, whose knee injury at the US Open initially put his semi-final appearance in doubt, quickly found his way back, converting backhand service returns into winners and eventually frustrating the unpredictable Kyrgios.
RAMKUMAR TRIED TO SERVE AND VOLLEY BUT SHAPOVALOV WAS QUICK WITH HIS RETURNS, HARDLY GIVING THE INDIAN TIME TO CHARGE
charge strategy paid dividends as he led 5-4.
However, the good work came to naught as he could not convert any of the four set points he earned in the 12th game, eventually losing the tie-breaker with his fifth double fault of the match.
Despite being put under pressure, Shapovalov, leading the fight in Milos Raonic’s absence, won 13 of the last 15 points in the second set. That was the difference between them. Ramkumar could convert none of the six break chances he got.