Davis Cup: Ukraine lost early Portugal

The Ukrainian national team on tennis failed to beat Portugal in the framework of the match of the second round of the First Euro-African zone of the Davis Cup.

The decisive day of the match meeting between Portugal and Ukraine began with the score 2:1 in favor of the hosts. On Friday, Gastao Elias in five sets defeated Artem Smirnov (6:4, 7:6, 6:7, 3:6, 6:1), and joão Souza defeated Nikita Mashtakova (6:0, 6:3, 6:0). On Saturday, Ukraine managed to reduce backlog in the account – in the doubles match Artem Smirnov and Denis Molchanov figured out the Elias and Souza (5:7, 6:1, 6:3, 6:4).

To even the score in the match against Joao Souza tried Artem Smirnov. Ukrainian, not included in the top 500 of the ATP ranking, had a more than decent resistance to the Portuguese, but to avoid defeat in three sets still could not.

In the first game Smirnov was twice applied for a set and missed several set-Bolov. Souza on the tiebreak punish Ukrainians for extravagance. The winner of the second set was also decided at the tiebreak, this time Smirnov was able to return to the game, but in the 13th game of no chance Artem was not. In the third set, Sousa led 4:0 and brought the match to the bitter end.

Portugal goes to the playoffs of the World group of the Davis Cup, and Ukraine at least one year delayed in the First zone of the Euro-African group. Let’s be honest, at the moment there are no prerequisites to promotion to the grade of men’s teams no.

Portugal – Ukraine 3:1

João Souza – Artem Smirnov– 7:6, 7:6, 6:2

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