Tennis Davis Cup 2010: Australia ahead of Belgium 2-1
Australia takes a lead of 2-1 against Belgium in their Davis Cup campaign after Paul Hanley and Lleyton Hewitt won the doubles clash on Saturday, leaving them just a single victory from promotion to the World Group.
The most successful Davis Cup contender from Australia, Lleyton teamed up with big serving doubles expert Hanley to topple Ruben Bemelmans and Olivier Rochus in a total of three sets. The final match score was 6-1, 6-2, and 6-4.
Australia, who has captured the Davis Cup title on a total of twenty eight occasions so far, is keen to make its way into the elite grouping of sixteen on the very first occasion since they were eliminated by Belgium three years ago back in 2007.
They now need the world number thirty six, Hewitt or the rising tennis ace, Carsten Ball to triumph in their respective singles clashes on Sunday to earn promotion.
However, the Australians are likely to meet strong opposition from Belgium, especially from that team’s best player and the world number seventy nine, Rochus who was influential in Australia’s loss three years ago.
Steve Darcis from Belgium has not contested in Cairns so far after he injured himself just an hour prior to his singles clash versus Hewitt on Friday.
The world number one hundred and ninety one, Ruben Bemelmans courageously stepped into the vacancy and managed to force the former top-ranked and two time major winner to a total of four sets, however, the task was tougher in the doubles, considering he
had never teamed up with Rochus before.
The Belgians right from the start of the match looked under pressure, as a result of some ruthless game from Hanley and Hewitt and despite a rain interruption, couldn’t manage to gain any rhythm to stop the Australian’s claim the win.
The victory makes Lleyton Australia's most successful player in the Davis Cup tennis competition with a total of forty four victories in singles and doubles. Earlier on Friday, his 43rd victory put him in a par with Adrian Quist who is a former record-holder
from Australia.
The 29-year-old Hewitt will be back in action on Sunday against Rochus in the singles matches.
That clash will be followed by Ball, who was defeated in his first match by Rochus in straight sets, or Peter Luczak who will meet Bemelmans or Darcis.
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