Brazil has come out on top in a three-hour doubles Davis Cup qualifier at Memorial Drive
It’s a contest in the Davis Cup qualifier as Brazil stunned Australia with Marcelo Demoliner and Felipe Meligeni Alves beating James Duckworth and John Peers at Memorial Drive.
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Suddenly, and out of the blue, we have a contest.
A near three hour gargantuan clash in the Davis Cup qualifier at Memorial Drive will head into a fourth rubber as Brazilians Marcelo Demoliner and Felipe Meligeni Alves finally saw off debutant James Duckworth and John Peers 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (6) in absolute potboiler.
Amid a barrage of nerves and twists and turns from both teams all afternoon, Brazil blew a 6-2 lead in the deciding tie-break, only to seal the win two points later to the backdrop of an ever more deafening South American support.
“It was a great level of tennis,” said Demoliner.
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“I hope we can win two more matches today. Let’s keep pushing.”
As with yesterday’s two singles matches, the detail does not reveal the intensity and uncertainty of a foursome where the shakes afflicted and tormented every man at some point.
Peers, the most experienced and accomplished man out there, lost his serve three times, indicative perhaps of a lack of understanding with Duckworth, who was making his Davis Cup debut as well as teaming up with Peers for the first time.
It looked for a long time as if the green and gold would prevail in two sets with Brazil lacking conviction but they scrambled a break from seemingly nowhere to make it 5-5 in the second set and tee up a third set a few minutes later.
As a spectacle, it was just what was needed, igniting both sets of fans – there was a healthy Brazilian support – and breathing life into what could have been a formulaic second day.
The turning point came, we thought, with Australia 3-2 ahead with Duckworth hitting a cracking forehand return of serve to give the Aussies daylight and renewed belief. But the momentum then swung the other way, Brazil breaking back to 4-4, then 5-5 and a break point to Brazil squandered, breathtaking stuff, then 6-6 and the deciding tie-break.
Brazil grew in maturity though – Meligeni Alves was debuting as well as Duckworth – and a united desire to win prevailed but there were times when no man out there seemed capable of taking control it a match where mistakes were almost as common as winners.