VILNIUS/STARNBERG, February 2, 2024
Chris Eubanks won his Davis Cup debut to clinch a 2-0 lead for the USA after the first of its two-day Davis Cup Qualifiers tie with Ukraine in Vilnius, Lithuania.
After Sebastian Korda outlasted a game Oleksii Krutykh, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4, Eubanks, subbing in for an injured Taylor Fritz (right hip), overpowered the 498th-ranked Viacheslav Bielinskyi, 6-3, 6-2.
High fives all round, well almost 😅 #DavisCup | @usta pic.twitter.com/MIP8R4w9OX
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) February 1, 2024
“I started off really nervous. I’ve been pretty nervous all day since I found out I was going to play. But when I got on court, things calmed down and I felt like I played at a really high level,” Eubanks said.
The American doubles team of No. 3 Austin Krajicek and No. 5 Rajeev Ram now has the chance to clinch the tie for the U.S. in Friday’s first match, taking on the Ukrainian team of No. 301 Vitaliy Sachko and No. 947 Illya Beloborodko, beginning at 10 a.m. ET.
“We’ve got two really experienced veterans on our team that have played well in practice all week,” U.S. Davis Cup captain Bob Bryan said on Friday’s doubles match. “It’s going to take an amazing performance from the Ukrainians to match their level. I’m looking forward to watching it, but I’m very confident in Rajeev and Austin and their level.”
RESULTS
Thursday, February 1
Sebastian Korda (USA) d. Oleksii Krutykh (UKR), 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4
Chris Eubanks (USA) d. Viacheslav Bielinskyi (UKR), 6-3, 6-2
SCHEDULE
Friday, February 2 (5 p.m. local / 10 a.m. ET)
Austin Krajicek / Rajeev Ram (USA) vs. Vitaliy Sachko / Illya Beloborodko (UKR)
Chris Eubanks (USA) vs. Oleksii Krutykh (UKR)
Sebastian Korda (USA) vs. Viacheslav Bielinskyi (UKR)
A victory would clinch the Americans’ spot in the 16-nation Group Stage of the Davis Cup Finals, to be played across four TBD cities September 10-15. The top eight nations advancing out of Group Play will play in the Final 8 stage of the competition, a knockout-style quarterfinal bracket to be played in November in Malaga, Spain, that will crown the 2024 Davis Cup champion.
