BASTAD, September 14, 2017
Sweden hosts Lithuania this weekend for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Group II third round tie taking place on clay at Bastad Tennis Stadium. It is the first time the two teams will face each other.
The home country is led by Elias and Mikael Ymer. The two youngsters will play the first two singles rubbers on Friday. Elias Ymer will open the action against Julius Tverijonas. The Swedish No. 1 will be the clear favourite taking on an opponent, who has yet to break into the top 1,000 of the ATP rankings. It will be their first meeting.
Mikael Ymer will challenge Laurynas Grigelis. The 26-year-old Lithuanian captured one ITF Pro Circuit title this season, lifting the trophy in Brasov, Romania, two weeks ago. He will face the Swedish teenager for the first time. The 19-year-old from Stockholm clinched his second Futures career title in Lille in February this year.
Sweden’s No. 1 Elias Ymer and Lithuania’s No. Laurynas Grigelis will meet in the first singles reverse rubber
“The city, it’s small but very nice. The hotel is good, the organization is good, for the team and
everything,” first-time Bastad visitor Grigelis told Tennis TourTalk about his first impressions on Thursday. “The weather could be better, but of course we cannot change it.“
Grigelis will play his 44th match for Lithuania on Friday. He won 20 matches, most of them on hard courts.
“I like to play on all surfaces, even on grass, I don’t have one preferred surface,” the World No. 241 is looking forward to the Davis Cup weekend.
“It’s a pleasure to play for my country again. We play about two or three times a year in Davis Cup. So, the team meets for three weeks every year. This is really nice.”
His home town, however, is in Italy, close to Bergamo.
“I moved to Italy because of the tennis when I was a kid. Now I moved to Foligno, there is a club, like an academy. I didn’t have only one coach, but more different coaches. I am used to the Italian clay court conditions, but I think here it’s different. The clay is pretty hard, and the weather is cold, so the conditions
will be pretty different.”
In Saturday’s doubles rubber Johan Brunstrom and Markus Eriksson will take on Tadas Babelis and Laurynas Grigelis. The winner of the tie will be promoted to Group I.
