Australia on Friday reached their first Davis Cup final since 2003 when they battled back to beat last year’s runners-up Croatia 2-1.
Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson stunned 2021 Wimbledon champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-4 in the decisive doubles to hand Australia a final clash against either Canada or Italy on Sunday.
The victory was reward for the decision by Australia skipper Lleyton Hewitt — who played in the 2003 title-winning team — to pair Thompson with Purcell.
Photo: AFP
Matthew Ebden, who had partnered Purcell to this year’s Wimbledon title, had been scheduled to feature in the deciding rubber before the late switch.
“It’s been a long time,” Hewitt said. “We’re a very proud Davis Cup nation and I’m very proud of these guys. They deserve to be in the final and in with a chance of winning this thing.”
Hewitt said that there had been a “slight injury concern” over Ebden.
“But I had no concerns about the chemistry of these two [Purcell and Thompson],” he added.
After Mektic and Pavic claimed the 53-minute opening set in the tiebreak to nudge Croatia closer to a fourth Davis Cup final in six years, the Australian pair hit back.
They broke in the 11th game of the second set to level, before breaking again in the seventh game of the decider on their way to victory after 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Earlier, Alex de Minaur beat former US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2 to pull 28-time champions Australia level after Borna Coric had given Croatia the lead in the semi-final with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis.
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