SA take commanding lead on opening day of Davis Cup in Tshwane

03 February 2017 - 17:15 By David Isaacson
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Lloyd Harris of South Africa in action against Vladimir Ivanov during the opening singles of the Davis Cup tie between South Africa and Estonia at the Irene Country Club on February 03, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa. File photo
Lloyd Harris of South Africa in action against Vladimir Ivanov during the opening singles of the Davis Cup tie between South Africa and Estonia at the Irene Country Club on February 03, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa. File photo
Image: Reg Caldecott/Gallo Images

South Africa took a commanding 2-0 lead against Estonia on the opening day of the Europe/Africa Group II Davis Cup tie in Pretoria on Friday.

In a blow for the visitors‚ Jurgen Zopp withdrew injured in the first match against Nik Scholtz while trailing 6-4 4-6 3-6‚ and then Lloyd Harris blew away Vladimir Ivanov 6-4 6-3 6-2.

Zopp quit before the start of the fourth set after receiving medical attention for an abdominal muscle strain‚ which was particularly painful while serving.

  • Estonia tennis team loses key player Zopp in the opening Davis Cup tie against SAEstonia suffered a major blow when their top player Jurgen Zopp was forced to retire hurt in the opening match of the Europe/Africa Group II Davis Cup tie in Pretoria on Friday. 

He could not say if he would play again in the tie.

“The serve is the most important shot in these conditions‚” said Zopp who‚ at 317 in the world‚ was 200 ranking points above Scholtz and was central to Estonia’s chances here.

“I was feeling it for quite some time‚ but hoping the adrenaline would get me through. I feel so bad for my team‚ I feel like I let them down.”

  • SA not losing sleep‚ apart from Scholtz‚ over higher-ranked Estonians for Davis Cup tieIf the South Africans were feeling pressure ahead of the Davis Cup tie against Estonia that starts in Pretoria on Friday morning‚ they were hiding it well on Thursday. 

Scholtz had survived some scares in the third set‚ saving a break point in the first game and then three in the fifth before breaking Zopp in the eighth.

Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse will try to clinch the tie for SA in Saturday’s doubles match against the unheralded combination of Kenneth Raisma and Mattias Siimar.

  - TMG Digital

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now