Davis Cup in Vienna
What a bummer! Neumayer loses, Belgium ties the score at 1-1
The Davis Cup match between Austria and Belgium heads into Saturday tied at 1–1! Following Jurij Rodionov’s victory over Gauthier Onclin, Lukas Neumayer put in a strong performance against top-40 player Zizou Bergs, staying on track for a potential 2-0 lead for a long time, but ultimately lost 6-2, 4-6, 2-6. However, Jürgen Melzer’s team’s chances of reaching the final tournament in Bologna remain very much intact.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen Neumayer had already been making a big impression in ÖTV training sessions this week, and on Friday he showed that same form when it mattered most. Once again, the world No. 180 rose to the occasion in the Davis Cup. Against Bergs, who is a whopping 142 spots ahead of him in the rankings, “Neumi” once again delivered a magnificent performance, especially in the first set.
Watching the two players at the start, one might have thought Neumayer was the higher-ranked professional. For while Bergs was visibly struggling with the slow court surface—sometimes hitting the balls out very quickly—the Salzburg native fought tooth and nail in every rally, won almost every extended rally, and even dominated with his serve. At times, Neumayer hit almost magical shots, such as a magnificent half-volley to win the set 6–2 after just 33 minutes.
Bergs seemed increasingly disheartened at the start of the second set; he lacked energy and often shuffled across the court with his head down between points. When Neumayer broke to make it 2–0, it already looked like a possible upset and the decisive point toward a 2–0 lead in the match.
Polonaise in the stands
But suddenly Bergs turned it on, looking like a Top 40 player again. His powerful shots landed in the court instead of going out, and on his own serve he dictated the rallies more and managed to dig out some great shots of his own. The Belgian took the second set 6–4—to the delight of the Belgian fans, who even started a little polonaise in the stands.
In the third set, Neumayer put up a valiant fight, but Bergs maintained his now very high level of play. The world No. 38 immediately broke the home favorite’s first service game and then didn’t give up a single game on his own serve. With a 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 victory, Bergs once again secured for Belgium the point the visiting team needed most.
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