Australia’s Davis Cup campaign is off to a winning start, with Alex De Minaur beating Zsombor Piros in straight sets.
The first set at Ken Rosewall Arena was tough slogging for Australia’s top-ranked male player, eventually securing the break late on and winning it, 7-5.
The second was more straightforward, as he emphatically thumped a second serve right back at the Hungarian to secure the set and the match, 7-5, 6-2.
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Rosewall was front row at the stadium that bears his name, and clapped in approval as the world No.32 soaked in the adulation from his hometown fans.
De Minaur secures opening Davis Cup win
De Minaur returned the favour afterwards when asked by Jelena Dokic what he thought of the eight-time singles grand slam winner being courtside.
“As much as I love playing on this court, this is your court Kenny, and it’s my favourite court in the world – thank you so much for being here and for everything you’ve done,” he said.
“It’s special, to wear the green and gold in front of legends of the sport and the history, culture and tradition that the Davis Cup has,” De Minaur said afterwards.
“It’s never easy, playing for your country – there’s always a lot more nerves going in but I can’t tell you how good it feels to play with a home crowd, on my home court,” De Minaur said.
Unfortunately, Thanasi Kokkinakis was unable to give the Aussies a 2-0 lead, going down to Marton Fucsovics in three sets.
It was an enthralling encounter with Kokkinakis losing the first, breezing through the second and getting the third back on serve before being broken again and eventually losing, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.
A win for Australia would see them advance to the Davis Cup finals, which begins in September with the group stage.
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