Resurgent Germany march on in Junior Fed Cup
Cries of ecstasy and frustration lived side by side at the USTA National Campus as the quarter final places of the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals were decided.
In the Junior Fed Cup, a resurgent Germany side took all three points as they sailed past Serbia to ensure their place in the last eight. After a dramatic opening day defeat to rivals Morocco, captain Jasmine Woehr told ITFtennis.com some stern words were the key to her sides upturn in form.
“To be honest, it was a very tough talk after the first match, but I think sometimes that’s necessary. I saw a different reaction the next day, they completely changed in that match and today so I’m very happy about that.”
That team talk certainly seems to have worked as the Germans dismantled a Serbian side who were also seeking a quarter finals spot. Nastasja Schunk opened play with a 6-4 6-0 win over Natalija Senic before teammate Mara Guth raced past Fatma Idrizovic, winning 6-1 6-2.
Guth then partnered up with Julia Middendorf to record a quickfire 6-1 6-2 victory and seal all three points for Germany and send them through to the final eight in style.
Speaking to ITFTennis.com after the match, Guth and Middendorf seemed upbeat with Guth claiming her form has never been better.
“I think I played one of the best matches of my life yesterday,” enthused Guth. “I’m very happy about my win today as well and I think we as a team were great today. I like playing on clay, it’s my favourite surface.”
In the other Group C fixture, Germany’s day one conquerors Morocco lost out to fourth seeds Canada who claimed a 3-0 victory thanks to wins from Annabelle Xu and Melodie Collard.
In the Junior Davis Cup it was a story of a second consecutive victory for Spain as they consolidated their last eight status with a win over Morocco.
After initially falling behind after Morocco’s Yassine Dlimi beat Daniel Merida Aguilar over three sets, Daniel Rincon Yaguee stepped up to deliver a 6-1 6-2 hammering of Mehdi Benchakroun and set up a doubles showdown to decide who would claim the spoils.
With second seeds Japan racking up a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic the picture became clearer for Spain, should they win, they would qualify.
Rincon Yaguee, buoyed from his earlier singles success, teamed up with Alejandro Alvarez Turriziani to battle past Walid Ahouda and Yassine Dlimi and keep Spanish hopes of a title defence alive.
After the match, Alvarez Turriziani attributed his longstanding connection with Daniel Rincon Yaguee as a key to their success. “I played with him as long as four years ago,” said Alvarez Turriziani. “My connection with him on the court is great. It’s great playing with my friends – this experience is amazing.”
Reflecting on his side’s performance, Captain Carles Vicens praised the mental strength of his players but insisted his team aren’t thinking too far ahead.
“Last year we had a fantastic team but this year is a different competition, a different team,” Vicens told ITFtennis.com. “They aren’t thinking about the title, that’s not the question. The question is can we compete by playing good tennis.”
“Every tie is difficult, people don’t appreciate that all the players play well but it’s about endurance, it’s very tactical, playing good tennis each point, every game. My players remain calm in the tough moments, they do this very well.”
With the quarter final spots all decided and the dust settling on another day of ferocious battles here in Orlando the players are enjoying a different form of activity this evening in the shape of a trip to golf experience centre Drive Shack.
Asked about the evening ahead, the Spanish boys seemed in good spirits, with Daniel Aguilar Merida adding: “I play sometimes over the summer, I’m not very good…but I think I’ll win.”
To catch up on the full set of results from Day 3 in Orlando, click below: