Davis Cup in Vienna
Rodionov Gives Austria a 1-0 Lead
Austria’s tennis players have taken the first step on their renewed path to the Davis Cup Final in Bologna. In the opening match of the Davis Cup tie against Belgium in Vienna, Jurij Rodionov lived up to his role as favorite, winning 6-4, 6-1 to give the Red-White-Red a 1-0 lead. “I’m glad I was able to get the job done,” Rodionov said happily.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Over 3,000 fans had gathered to experience the first Davis Cup in Vienna in 18 years. While they didn’t see a top-tier match, they at least got what they had hoped for—for now. The first point for Austria—which, on paper, is practically essential to secure a victory over Belgium.
After all, the match opened with Austria’s number one, Jurij Rodionov, facing Belgium’s number two, Gauthier Onclin. But as is so often the case when he’s the favorite, the Austrian struggled for a long time. On the slow clay court, Onclin managed to draw Rodionov into long rallies and stay in them with his defensive play. Given the Belgian’s weak serves, Rodionov’s returns were far too harmless for a long time. “My nerves were getting to me a bit at the start,” the 27-year-old admitted afterward.
Saves Two Break PointsWith a break to make it 4-2, Rodionov finally seemed to take control, but he promptly gave up the break right back. Shortly afterward, Rodionov even seemed in danger of losing the first set when, at 4–4, he faced two break points, which Onclin squandered with weak returns. Yuriy not only held his serve but also secured the first set 6–4 after 52 minutes.
This success gave Rodionov momentum. He started the second set confidently, played with increasing strength, and, to the delight of the fans, surged ahead 4–0. A brief slump might have thrown the Rodionov of old off balance. But the seasoned Davis Cup hero remained unfazed by losing his serve to fall behind 1–4. After 1 hour and 27 minutes, he clinched the first point for Austria with a 6–4, 6–1 victory.
“I’m extremely happy to have won here,” said a relieved Rodionov, for whom the Davis Cup in Vienna holds special significance. “I’ve played here many times, and I’ve been a Viennese by choice since 2020.”
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