Mergea and Tecau pull back a point for Romania
http://www.daviscup.com/news/matchreport.asp?id=14076
Romania won an epic doubles rubber to keep alive this Davis Cup by BNP
Paribas World Group tie. Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau teamed up to
inflict on Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra only the French pair’s
second ever defeat in the team competition. The visitors triumphed 36
75 75 67(3) 119 in four hours and 35 minutes.
“It was a fantastic match,” enthused Romanian skipper Florin Segarceanu.
“It was an unbelievable game. More than four-and-a-half hours of very good
quality tennis. I’m very happy. We won a point which was very important and
I’m very happy for the young ones.”
The home team, cheered on by their enthusiastic supporters, were on top
early on. Having won four of their five Davis Cup rubbers together, their
confidence was high. They bullied Mergea, constantly putting him under
pressure on serve. He yielded in the sixth game of the opener and that
solitary break was enough to decide the set. Richard Gasquet and Sebastien
Grosjean, who gave France a 2-0 lead by winning Friday’s singles rubbers,
smiled with approval on the sidelines.
France lets early lead slip
France were on top and they scored another break in the third game of the
second set. However, the ‘little and large’ combination of Mergea and
Tecau was growing in confidence with every service hold. “I told them
return the ball and not be afraid,” said Segarceanu. “At the beginning
they were afraid of the serve but they started to get more confidence and
it became an even match.”
Tecau provided the power while Mergea the artistry. Segarceanu commented:
“That’s a very good combination. They complement each other very well.
Horia can serve and volley very well and Florin is a magician.”
Attacking down the middle of the court, a tactic that is so often successful
in doubles, the Romanians broke back and a netted volley by Clement enabled
them to break again and level the match.
Romania seizes momentum in third set
Miscommunication between the French pairing at the beginning of the third
set, resulting in Clement dumping a hastily hit volley into the bottom of
the net, meant that Romania broke to take a 2-0 lead. They had the advantage
for the first time in the match.
The contest had opened up, with break point opportunities becoming frequent.
A forehand service return winner by Clement, hit behind Tecau as the Romanian
attempted to cover his forehand side, helped France break back.
The momentum shifted back and forth. Tecau saved a break point in the ninth
game, then the visitors missed two set points while 5-4 ahead. Eventually, a
double fault from the French put Romania two-sets-to-one ahead.
Segarceanu full of praise for his team
Almost inevitably, France hit back. Llodra, who volleyed sharply throughout,
sealed a break for 2-0. The home side was pegged back again but an ace by
Llodra in the tiebreak, accompanied by a guttural war cry, levelled the
match.
Despite the handicap of 12 double faults throughout the match, it was the
Romanians who held firm in the final set. They faced just one break point
during the 77-minute decider and scored the key break in the 20th game of
the set as Clement’s serve faltered.
Tecau held serve to love, the match won when Mergea executed a cute stop
volley to prompt huge celebration on the Romanian bench.
“I always believed in my players,” said the affable Segarceanu when
asked if he was surprised that his doubles team, who had been ranked
No. 1 in the world as juniors but had played just one Davis Cup rubber
together, had overcome the more experienced French pairing.
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