Alex de Minaur and Aleksandar Vukic secured opening singles victories for Australia in their Davis Cup first-round qualifying tie against Sweden in Stockholm.
De Minaur, playing his first match since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, overcame Mikael Ymer 7-5, 6-1 in the opening rubber. This win gave Lleyton Hewitt's injury-hit team a crucial advantage, silencing the home crowd at the Royal Tennis Hall.
Despite facing a tough opponent in Ymer, who is returning to professional tennis after an 18-month ban, de Minaur ultimately prevailed in a straightforward manner.
"It was a competitive match, a very tough match," de Minaur said. "Mikael played well. I knew he was going to be a very tough opponent, so I'm very happy I got the win for Australia and put a win on the board."
Vukic, making his Davis Cup debut, followed de Minaur's victory with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Leo Borg in the second singles rubber.
"He made it very tough, and it's always tough to play in front of the opponent's home crowd," Vukic said. "Alex did a great job before me, and hopefully we'll just get some rest and recovery before the doubles guys try to do their thing.
9 Comments
Muchacha
Vukic's victory was too close for comfort. He needs to improve significantly for future matches.
Pupsik
Vukic’s debut win was impressive! Excited to see more from him in the future!
Marishka
Vukic’s win might’ve been close, but he showed great composure in his Davis Cup debut!
Pupsik
Great job, team! De Minaur and Vukic both played well under pressure!
Marishka
It’s about time we celebrate our athletes' victories, no matter who the opponents are!
Stan Marsh
De Minaur is such a consistent player—he really knows how to handle tough situations.
Leonardo
This is a weak competition. Sweden isn't at full strength, so these wins are misleading.
Michelangelo
Ymer isn't even in top form, so this 'victory' feels hollow. Let’s not overhype it.
Raphael
I wouldn't get too excited—both players were up against unranked opponents. Not a true test.