Heartbreak as Great Britain fall short against the Netherlands in Davis Cup, losing the tie 2-1
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Updated 16/09/2022 at 22:23 GMT
In the first rubber, Dan Evans managed to get the better of Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets. The Dutch got one back to level the tie 1-1 after Botic van de Zandschulo beat Cam Norrie. The doubles match was the tightest of the three clashes, with Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop taking the win against Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury. In the end, the Dutch just managed to win the tie.
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Great Britain fails to defeat the Netherlands in the Davis Cup group stage at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow and crash out ahead of the quarter-finals.
After losing to the Americans, Team GB needed to beat the Netherlands to stay in contention for qualification to the knockout rounds.
This first of the three matches was between Daniel Evans and Tallon Griekspoor.
Evans did well behind his serve, hitting them with extreme accuracy to win 6-4 6-4.
The straight sets victory was a massive relief for him, who fell short to Tommy Paul earlier in the week.
Speaking on the court after the win, Evans first thanked the crowd that came out to show their support for Team GB.
"It's an amazing atmosphere, I love playing in Britain, especially here in Glasgow. It's like a home away from home in the Davis Cup.
"We're incredibly lucky to get such home support, and it was an amazing match. I'm just so pumped for everyone.
Evans also wanted to shine light on those who have helped him and his team-mates at the competition, saying: "We've got a great backroom staff. That's what the Davis Cup is all about. It made me look a bit better than I was, and it was nice to get through.
When giving his thoughts on Griekspoor, he said: “He served incredibly well. It's sometimes frustrating, he could serve me off the court. I just kept calm, and it got me through."
Cameron Norrie was unable to keep up the momentum in the second rubber, losing 4-6 2-6 to Botic van de Zandschulp making the tie 1-1.
Norrie was certainly not at his best, but all credit should be given to the Dutchman who played one of the best matches of his career so far.
The 26-year-old often used the serve and volley extremely effectively and managed to silence the chants of the very-pro Norrie crowd in Glasgow
"I think I played almost a perfect match. Served amazing and made very little mistakes in the rallies. This is one of my best matches for sure,” said Van de Zandschulp:
The Dutch player referred to his match against Norrie in Montreal, which he lost, saying that this game was “entirely different.”
"In Montreal, I was not playing so well, so it was completely different for sure."
The tie excitedly came down to the doubles match, a real treat for fans as Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury, the world number one in men's doubles, took on Wesley Koolhof and Matew Middelkoop.
It was Team GB who started off strong, who went up 4-2 in the first set quite quickly.
The Dutch were able to get back in it after Murray’s defence was lacking and all of sudden it was 4-5.
Koolhof and Middelkoop continued their momentum into the tie break, taking it 7-0 by pulling off some good shots, and forcing some major errors from their opponents.
The second set also went to a decider, this time with the Brits coming out on top in yet another incredibly tense back and forth, that saw Evans do a lap of delight at the end.
In the end however, it just wasn’t meant to be, as the Dutch somehow blocked out the deafening noise of the home crowd, and took the final set, winning in the end 7-6 6-7 6-3.
"From the first point on it was very intense. We managed to turn it around to win the tie-break. We tried to keep the momentum and the guys deserved to win at least one set. We kept on going, got the break and managed to serve it out," said Koolhof.
"So many mixed emotions, playing for the country, playing with my old partner which is always a blessing, and playing against one of the legends, Andy Murray. It shows what the heart can do - we have a lot of entertainment to offer in Malaga,” added Middelkoop.
The result means that the USA will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, while Team GB, whose Davis Cup campaign is officially over, will take on Kazakhstan, who have yet to win a tie.
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