Switzerland’s team only needed one more point to qualify for the group stage in September, which neither Riedi nor Hüsler could bring. The tie-breaks were this time unfavorable to Leandro Riedi, who seemed exhausted by the succession of matches and lost 7-6 7-6 to Tallon Griekspoor. Marc-Andrea Hüsler, who had lost by the same score on Friday against Griekspoor, could still become the hero of the match in the last game, which pitted him against Botic van de Zandschulp.
“A lot of good things”
He started well and was two points away from victory (at 7-5 6-6 and 5-5 in the tie-break) but missed the next two shots. His chance was gone. van de Zandschulp won the tiebreak before easily pulling away in the third set, where Marc-Andrea Hüsler could only score four points on his return games. “It’s one of the bitterest defeats of my career,” commented the player. “Very little was lacking, which makes the disappointment even greater.”
In comments also reported by Swiss Tennis, Severin Lüthi, as usual, gave a nuanced assessment of the weekend. “Of course, we are disappointed, but we did a lot of things very well. Before the match, our team was a bit too much designated as the underdog for my taste. I always assumed that many matches could be tight, especially because our players are currently rather under-ranked.”
If Leandro Riedi is indeed better than his ranking, Marc-Andrea Hüsler suffers from a lack of confidence that has cost him dearly in crucial moments. Beaten, Switzerland’s team must now defend its place in the Davis Cup elite. A playoff will pit them against a team aiming for promotion to the elite during the second half of September. The opponent’s name and the location of the match are not yet known.
#Courageuse #mais #battue #Suisse #devra #passer #par #barrage #Coupe #Davis
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