Germany are a step closer from entering the World Group in 2018 after a five set doubles win over Portugal in Oeiras on Saturday.
By Giovanni Vianello
After the match between Joao Sousa against Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, for Portugal comes the second defeat in this Davis Cup Play-Off’ tie. The loss has arrived in the doubles and now chances for Portugal to reach the World Group are very small.
Portugal played with its two best Single’s players, Gastao Elias and Joao Sousa, whilst Germany played with Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Puetz.
The first set was won by Germany by 6-2. Portugal, despite playing with its best single’s players, looked like it was frightened by the chance of clinching for the first time the World Group since the nowadays format was adopted. Something similar had happened yesterday to Joao Sousa, one of the player contesting in today doubles, who lost to Germany’s Stebe very surprisingly, especially considering that the Davis’ tie is held on the Portuguese clay.
Nevertheless, the home players immediately tied up the count of the sets (one a piece) by securing the second set with a 6-4. The set was decided by a single break, which came in the third game of the set and that was held by the Portuguese team until the end of the set, even despite a 0-40 disadvantage on their serve in the tenth and last game. Sousa and Elias played more consistently and self-confidently.
The third set was about to be won by Germany, but in the end Portugal forced the set to the tie-break and the Portuguese team won the thirteenth game by 7-5.
The set was about to be decided between the seventh and the ninth game. In the seventh game, Germany was serving and gave its opponent many break-points, saving them all. In the eighth game, on the opposite, Portugal too gave plenty of chances to Germany to break, and in the end Struff and Puetz secured a 5-3 lead, giving their selves a chance to serve for the set in the ninth game. In the ninth game, though, in one of the few display of pride given by the home-team throughout all the match, Portuguese team broke Germany and then, as already said, won the set in the breaker.
The fourth set was won by Germany by 6-4. The only break came in the third game and Germany took full advantage of it, in a set which had a similar way of developing itself as the second, but that was won by Germany instead of Portugal.
The match, then, was decided by the fifth set. The fith set was balanced and thrilling. It was decided by a break on Sousa’s serve in the ninth game, with the German team which afterwards served for the match in the tenth game and easily held serve. Once again, Joao Sousa, Portugal’s top-player, trembled.
Jan-Lennard Struff will hope to seal the tie for Germany as he takes on Joao Sousa in the fourth rubber.
