In Bad Waltersdorf

ÖTV doubles team secures Davis Cup advancement against Turkey

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's Davis Cup team has confidently lived up to its role as favorites against Turkey. The Austrians won the World Group I duel, which lasted three days in Bad Waltersdorf due to the bad weather, 3-0 on Sunday. 

The decisive third point was won by the doubles team of Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler 6:3, 6:4 against Altug Celikbilek/Yanki Erel. No further singles matches were played.

The ÖTV team did not drop a single set in the three matches on clay and is through to the qualifying round, in which a place in the Davis Cup finals will be contested next spring. On Friday, Yuriy Rodionov prevailed in two sets against Erel, while Lukas Neumayr's match against Cem Ilkel was only completed on Saturday due to the capricious weather.

Erler/Miedler also had to wait a long time for their match on Sunday. After several postponements, the match got underway in the early afternoon with a delay of three and a half hours. Strong, gusty winds affected the match in the sparsely populated Sportaktivpark. However, the rain had subsided and the slow, wet court had dried out somewhat despite the cool conditions.

(Bild: GEPA)

Erler/Miedler took the first set with aplomb after a decisive break to 4:2 after 31 minutes. The opening phase of the second set was much more competitive, but Austria's top doubles pair also took the Turks' serve to make it 4:3. Erler decided the match with an ace through the middle.

Alexander Peya could be satisfied. The former world-class doubles player had stepped in as stand-in captain for ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer, who had to undergo a minor operation after suffering kidney colic.