Australia is just one win away from a place in the semifinals of the Davis Cup following a dominating performance on the first day of their tie against the Unted States of America.
The hosts got off to a strong start by Jordan Thompson upsetting Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Sock is ranked over 60 places higher than the world No.74. The underdog managed to secure the unlikely win with the help of an error-stricken performance from his rival. During the match, Sock produced a costly 66 unforced errors and dropped serve four times.
“I just tried to wear him down, and I thought I was fit enough to do that,” Thompson said. “I was not trying to go too big. That’s not within my game.”
Thompson’s win have cast a dark cloud over the American camp with the mood swiftly deteriorating. According to Australian media, Sock addressed his loss with a brief 27-word press conference. Some have put his performance down to fatigue due to his recent run in America. In March the 24-year-old reached the semifinals in Indian Wells followed by a quarterfinal appearance in Miami.
“I don’t know. He played a good match, so deserved to win. Served well, made a lot of balls.” A despondent Sock replied when asked about his current fitness.
Sealing the 2-0 lead was the in-form Nick Kyrgios. Facing the fast-serving John Isner, the Australian prevailed 7-5, 7-6(7-5), 7-6 (7-5). Kyrgios’ only blip in the encounter occurred at the start of the match when he got broken in his opening service game before clawing his way back. From that point onwards he continued to apply the pressure before clinching the match with his 20th ace.
“The crowd was unbelievable. Let’s hopefully close it out tomorrow,” the world No.16 said on court after the win.
“He’s one of the best servers in the world, a proven player.
“I’ve been putting my head down and I returned really well. I’m really happy to get the win.”
Similar to Sock, Isner’s downfall was partly due to his unforced error count of 40 (almost twice the amount of Kyrgios).
Tennis legends Hails Kyrgios’ performance
Seven-time grand slam doubles champion John Fitzgerald has described Kyrgios’ triumph over Isner as ‘something special.’ The 21-year-old been praised for how he conducted himself in the match, which was played at the Pat Rafter Arena in Birbsnae.
“I mean, all these boys know they saw something special there but a very composed match all through for Nick Kyrgios there.” Fitzgerald pointed out.
“John Isner is a difficult, difficult player to beat because of that serve. You make a few errors at the wrong time, you get into big trouble quickly.”
Todd Woodbridge, who played in 32 Davis Cup ties himself, was another to speak positively about the world No.16.
“We saw a player who’s come of age, there’s no doubt about that,” Woodbridge said.
“Because there was enormous pressure from the very first point and when it mattered most right near the end, he came up with the goods better than just about anybody could have.”
With the prospect of grabbing an unassailable lead on Saturday, Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt is keeping hush on who will play in the doubles match. Currently is it set to be John Peers and Sam Groth, but the former world No.1 is not ruling out changing the pairing.
“I’m really proud of both boys, but there’s still a bloody long way to go,’’ Hewitt about the first day of the tie.
Australia is seeking their first Davis Cup title since 2003
