By Chris Oddo | Sunday September 20, 2015
Belgium powered past Argentina on Sunday to reach its first Davis Cup final since 1904.
Photo Source: DavisCup.com
Judas Priest isn’t playing the fabled Forest National in Brussels until December, but that didn’t stop the partisan Belgian crowd from bringing their heavy metal thunder to the arena on Sunday to accompany the heroics of demigods David Goffin and Steve Darcis.
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Down two points to one, the Belgians had no room for error and Goffin (6-3, 6-2, 6-1 over Diego Schwartzman) and Darcis (6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) over Federico Delbonis) were up to the task as each performed masterfully to steer Belgium safely into its first Davis Cup final in 111 years.
“If you would tell me like ten years ago that we would play a final in Davis Cup, this I would not believe for sure,” said Darcis after he claimed the tie-clinching point. “The atmosphere was unbelievable. This stadium, it’s so famous in Belgium… For me it’s really big.”
A humble Darcis was quick to shovel some credit over to the team’s No. 1. “This time I had the win but David worked a lot,” he said. “He gave us two points. He played great and gave me the chance to finish the job.”
Goffin moved meticulously past last-minute substitute Diego Schwartzman in straight sets, saving all four break points he faced and cracking 38 winners. Schwartzman was plugged in for Leonardo Mayer, Argentina’s No. 1, who was believed to be fatigued after playing nearly eight hours on Friday and Saturday.
“Because Leo was tired, they decide that I play,” said Schwartzman, who said that he was informed of the coach’s decision on Saturday but hinted that it wasn’t made final until after warm-ups on Sunday morning.
Whatever the case with Mayer, Captain Daniel Orsanic’s squad had a shot in the fifth rubber as he sent out World No. 65 Delbonis against his virtual equal in ranking Darcis (World No. 64).
But Darcis was the better player throughout, and he was very close to closing out the tall southpaw in four sets without any complications before he got tight and failed to convert two match points while serving for the match, which allowed Delbonis a break to level at 5-all.
After each held serve, Darcis produced some electric shotmaking in the tiebreaker to earn four more match points. He converted on his second and fell to the ground partly in disbelief and partly in elation as the raucous crowd hooted with delirium.
“We said before that it would be a very long weekend, and that was the case,” said a happy Darcis. “We were lucky that Del Potro and Monaco were not there, but still, we took our chance.”
Belgium will play host to Great Britain in the final, which will be held on the weekend of November 27th-29th.