In the Davis Cup quarter-final, Tomas Machac defeated Jordan Thompson 6-4 7-5, giving the Czech Republic a 1-0 lead against Australia. The Czechs entered the Finals with a perfect 9-0 record from three Group Stage ties in September and hope to secure their first victory over Australia since 1975.
Machac, the Czech’s number two player, held on to an early break and withstood a strong fightback from Thompson at 5-4 in the opening set. The hard-hitting players were evenly matched in the second set up to 4-4, and Machac eventually edged ahead to win with a forehand winner.
If Jiri Lehecka wins his match against Alex de Minaur, the Czechs will clinch the tie. In the event of a decider, Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek will face Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in doubles.
Unfortunately, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis had to withdraw from the Finals due to an ankle injury. Lleyton Hewitt’s team, who lost to Canada in the final last year, are aiming to capture the men’s team competition crown for the 29th time, bringing them closer to the United States who hold the top spot with 32 titles.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
