Team Austria crushes the Belgian squad to move into WG 2012 – Davis Cup 2011 WG Play-offs
The bleak Belgian squad got a heavy beating in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs, losing to the aggressive Austrian squad in the tie. Team Austria registered a comprehensive 4-1 victory against Belgium to make it to the next round of the prestigious Davis Cup.
The competition was staged on the indoor hard courts of Lotto Arena, Antwerp, Belgium, from 16th to 18th of this month, with the local side suffering a crushing defeat in from of their home crowd. Austria kept its clean record against the Belgians in the Davis Cup encounters and recorded a fifth straight victory against them to lead the head-to-head series by 5-0.
Gilbert Schaller was the captain of the winning Austrian side and the world number 21, Jurgen Melzer, led the attack from his side. 77th ranked Andreas Haider-Maurer, Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya were the other members of the Austrian squad.
The Belgian team was captained by Johan Van Herck, with the world number 46, Xavier Malisse, leading the side. Other Belgians in the team include the world number 75, Olivier Rochus, 93rd ranked Steve Darcis and Ruben Bemelmans.
The tie remained competitive earlier on but the Austrians gradually took hold of the game and ended the competition on an assertive note. Haider-Maurer started off the proceedings from his side and stunned the 46th ranked Malisse convincingly in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 7-5, to give his team an early breakthrough in the tie.
The Belgians made a surprising comeback in the competition, when Darcis outplayed the Austrian spearhead, Melzer, in the second singles rubber of the day. Darcis wrapped up victory at 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, taking three hours and forty eight minutes of play to bring the competition back on even terms at 1-1.
The Austrians back fired at their opponents in the doubles battle, with Marach and Peya registering a victory over the Belgian duo of Darcis and Rochus in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, to break into a 2-1 lead in the tie.
Austrian domination continued in the third singles rubber, with Melzer finally getting his vintage touch back to oust Rochus in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-3, to seal victory for Austria in the tie. The dejected Belgians also dropped the last rubber as well, as Bemelmans succumbed to Peya at 4-6, 3-6, to bring a 1-4 defeat for his side. The Austrians registered a convincing victory in the end to move into the next round of draws, due to be played in November.
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