Tennis: Doubles down, one to go for Croatia victory

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, left, embraces teammate Mario Ancic after winning. Picture / Reuters

BRATISLAVA - Croatia are one victory away from their first Davis Cup tennis title after Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic teamed up to beat Slovakian duo Dominik Hrbaty and Michal Mertinak 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 yesterday.

The scrappy doubles win put Croatia 2-1 ahead in the best-of-five final, and they will be crowned champions if either Ljubicic or Ancic win their reverse singles today in the Sibamac Arena.

Ljubicic is first on court against Hrbaty knowing victory would give his country a winning 3-1 lead and complete a remarkable 12-0 win-loss record for the Croatian in this year's competition.

The last person to do that was American John McEnroe in 1982 when he also went through a campaign with a 100 per cent record. Ljubicic's record is more impressive because all of his victories have been in live rubbers.

Hrbaty, who has lost all five of his previous meetings with the beefy Croat, will need the performance of a lifetime to keep his country's hopes alive.

"We had a couple of chances in the first set today, but we were not lucky enough to convert them," said the Slovak No 1, who beat Ancic in Saturday's singles. "Tomorrow is another day. I'm better in singles, and I will certainly fight for the point."

After the singles were split, the doubles rubber became pivotal for the two central European nations, who are both appearing in their first final.

With Karol Beck, Mertinak's regular doubles partner out due to a knee injury, Slovak captain Miloslav Mecir was forced to shuffle his pack, although Mertinak and Hrbaty have some form, having reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year.

The Slovak pair had their chances, particularly in the first and third sets, but they paid for not taking them.

Mertinak served for the first set at 5-4, but nervy volleying combined with some Ljubicic brilliance allowed the Croatians to break back and force a tiebreak.

If the tennis was patchy, the atmosphere in the 4000-capacity hall was electric and only four of the first 11 points in an error-strewn breaker went with serve before a booming Ljubicic ace sealed it 7-5.

Hrbaty looked jaded in the second set as he dropped serve twice to hand Croatia a two-set lead.

Hrbaty and Mertinak raised their game in the third, and at 3-3 they carved out two break points on the Ancic serve. Ljubicic saved the first, punching away a volley after some close-range sparring at the net.

Ancic saved the second break point with a clinical volley, and Slovakia were offered no more chances as the Croatian pair continued their 100 per cent record as a Davis Cup tandem.

Roared on by an army of vociferous travelling fans, Croatia controlled the tiebreak and sealed victory in it 7-5 when Hrbaty netted a wide forehand.

- REUTERS