STARNBERG, September 11, 2024
Belgium and Australia came through tight decisive doubles matches to record victories against Netherlands and France, respectively, on the opening day of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage.
Gille/Vliegen COMPLETE THE COMEBACK 🔥
The Belgian duo show their determination & grit, coming back from a set down to secure a 6-4 6-7 4-6 victory 🙌#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/1mT022tVD9
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 10, 2024
“Personally, how I performed, getting the win in, it’s just great for myself, great for my own career,” said Zizou Bergs from Belgium. “It’s great for our Davis Cup [team] for the future, with the younger guys, a little bit of new team. I’m learning from them, they’re learning from me, we’re learning as a team. So we’re just trying to make each other better and better.”
Earlier, Germany had recorded a comfortable 3-0 win against Slovakia in Zhuhai. “I’m very happy. We performed well today,” said German Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann. “In all matches we kept trying to find ways to win somehow. Yannick [Hanfmann] maybe wasn’t playing his best tennis but he kept fighting and found a way to win the match, and Maxi [Marterer] gave us a great start. He came out very good, very focussed, very concentrated. It was very important for the whole team to start with a win.”
In other action, singles wins for Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime helped 2022 champions Canada overcome Argentina 2-1 in Manchester.
Comfortable #DavisCup win for Shapovalov! 👏
Denis Shapovalov gets the 2022 Davis Cup winners their first win in Manchester to lead 1-0 against Argentina 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/zH3ZFUClCh
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 10, 2024
“I feel great. The last time I played in the Davis Cup, we won the competition, so it was nice to be back and playing at such a high level. I’ve been playing well all year and I want to build on this now,” said Shapovalov.
DAY 1 RESULTS
Group A – Belgium defeated Netherlands 2-1
Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) d. Raphael Collignon (BEL) 7-5 7-6(6)
Zizou Bergs (BEL) d. Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-2 6-7(2) 6-3
Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen (BEL) d. Wesley Koolhof/Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4
Group B – Australia defeated France 2-1
Pabellon Municipal Fuente de San Luis, Valencia, Spain
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) d. Arthur Fils (FRA) 7-6(4) 7-6(3)
Ugo Humbert (FRA) d. Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-3 6-2
Matthew Ebden/Max Purcell (AUS) d. Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 7-5 5-7 6-3
Group C – Germany defeated Slovakia 3-0
Henqin International Tennis Center, Zhuhai, China, P.R.
Maximilian Marterer (GER) d. Lukas Klein (SVK) 6-4 7-5
Yannick Hanfmann (GER) d. Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 3-6 6-3 7-6(3)
Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz (GER) d. Lukas Klein/Igor Zelenay (SVK) 7-5 6-3
Group D – Canada defeated Argentina 2-1
AO Arena, Manchester, Great Britain
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) d. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) 7-5 6-3
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) d. Sebastian Baez (ARG) 6-3 6-3
Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni (ARG) d. Vasek Pospisil/Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2-6 6-3 6-2
