Thursday November 28, 2024

Serbia beats Spain in Davis Cup quarter-finals

Published : 11 Apr 2017, 06:48

Updated : 11 Apr 2017, 10:24

  DF-Xinhua Report
Serbia's Viktor Troicki (L) and Nenad Zimonjic celebrate victory after their Davis Cup quartefinal tennis match against Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez in Belgrade on April 8, 2017. Serbia defeated Spain 3-0 and advanced to semifinal. Photo Xinhua.

Serbia earned an unassailable 3-0 lead on Saturday over Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals at Aleksandar Nikolic hall in Belgrade.

On the second day of the quarterfinal tie, Serbia's 40-year-old Nenad Zimonjic teamed up with Viktor Troicki to beat Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez 4-6, 7-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, and bring the third winning point and victory for Serbia.

Zimonjic earned his 30th victory for Serbia, and he has played in every doubles match since the country entered the World Group of the Davis Cup in 2004.

"It was not easy for me to select myself to play in this match. It was a great responsibility, and I felt as I had no right to make a mistake, that I have to win," Zimonjic said, explaining that until the second set the pressure affected on his performance while Troicki was in great shape from the start of the match.

Troicki agreed at the press conference after the match that Serbian team "had good serves, great returns, and used opportunities it had".

"I would like to thank to the selector for teaming up with me and gave his best. I am overwhelmed," Troicki said.

Serbia, winner of Davis Cup in 2010, will on September play its fourth semifinals in eight years, in an away match against France who defeated Britain.

Previously, on Friday Novak Djokovic and Troicki respectively beat Albert Ramos Vinolas and Pablo Carreno Busta in the singles and brought first two points to Serbia.

In the remaining two matches of the Davis Cup quarterfinal on Sunday it is announced that Djokovic will play against Busta, while Troicki will meet Vinolas. However due to the low importance of two matches, players will be probably changed.