Spain in command on opening day of Davis Cup

MADRID: Rafael Nadal was back to his commanding best at the Caja Magica as he dropped just four games en route to a demolition of Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-0, 6-0 6-4. The world No. 2 gave Spain a 2-0 lead over Ukraine after Fernando Verdasco had defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov in the opening rubber of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off in Madrid.
In a match the visitors were desperate to win to give any hope of an upset at the Caja Magica, Dolgopolov took the opening set but Verdasco, playing Davis Cup for the first time since 2011, fought back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 In two hours and 32 minutes. After facing some early pressure on serve in the first set, it was Dolgopolov who got the opening break for 3-2 as Verdasco got tight, putting a forehand long and then serving a double fault.
The Ukranian then broke again for the set with a stunning backhand return winner. Left-handed Verdasco was struggling to deal with Dolgopolov’s flat backhand which flew low through the court to his forehand but hung in there and saved a break point at 12 in the second set before claiming the break for 43 as Dolgopolov threw in a double fault under pressure.
Verdasco confidently served out the set to love, producing a trademark forehand down the line to level the match. Spanish captain Alex Corretja was urging his man to take advantage of the momentum and although Verdasco went down a break early in the third set, he recovered as Dolgopolov gifted the break back with a woeful drop shot, which did not reach the net.
Dolgopolov’s backhand was beginning to misfire and Verdasco broke for 54 before clinching the set as Dolgopolov hit wide. As the temperature steadily increased, Verdasco was in no mood for hanging around in the heat and after breaking Dolgopolov’s serve twice thanks to his dominating forehand, the Spaniard served out the fourth set in 27 minutes for the victory. Spain is looking to maintain an 18-year unbroken run in the Davis Cup World Group, while Ukraine is bidding to break into the top tier for the first time.

Croatia, Britain 1-1

In Umag, Croatia, Ivan Dodig ensured that honors finished even after the first day of Croatia’s Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off tie against Britain in Umag. After Andy Murray had got the visiting team off to a winning start, beating 16-year-old Borna Coric 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, Dodig gave a thoroughly professional performance in beating Dan Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Both teams will be relying heavily on their top men in this tie and both proved they are up to the task. Dodig needed only an hour and 47 minutes to dispose of Evans, who rarely found the form that had taken him to the third round of the US Open.
Croatia’s leading man, who served particularly well, was solid in everything he did and kept a grip on the match from the moment he broke to lead 4-3 in the first set. Evans held on gamely in the second and third sets, but on each occasion Dodig broke in the sixth game. Zeljko Krajan, Croatia’s coach, praised Dodig’s “great” performance and said he had been expecting the tie to be level after the first day. “I’m still positive about the outcome,” Krajan said. Coric, who won the US Open boys’ title last weekend, showed no signs of nerves on his Davis Cup debut. The teenager forced a break point in the opening game against Murray, only to lose it after a remarkable 57-shot rally. He joked afterwards that he had still been feeling the effects of that rally at the end of the match.
Seria leads
In Belgrade, top-ranked Novak Djokovic swept aside Vasek Pospisil to give Serbia a 1-0 lead over Canada in the Davis Cup semifinals on Friday.
Djokovic beat Pospisil 6-2, 6-0, 6-4 on an indoor clay court at Belgrade Arena in a 1-hour, 40-minute match in which he did not face a single break point.
Djokovic, coming off a four-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the US Open final on Monday, won 12 consecutive games midway through Friday’s singles match and had no problem dispatching the 41st-ranked Canadian.
The Serb said he was still recovering from the change of the time zones and jet leg after arriving to the Serbian capital on Wednesday.
“I’m glad the match was short,” Djokovic said. “I forced him to make mistakes. ... I find additional inspiration while playing for my country.” Pospisil said Djokovic played “an amazing” match and gave him no chance.
“There is no excuse,” Pospisil said. “He is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason.” Canada has never made it this far in the Davis Cup, while Serbia won the event in 2010.