Colombia ties the series with Great Britain in the Davis Cup

With victories from their main tennis players, the local Colombia and Great Britain drew 1-1 this Friday in the first day of the qualifying round for Davis cup.

In the Pueblo Viejo Contruy Club de Cota, a town close to Bogotá, the Colombian Nicolas Mejia (253 in the world) fell to the ground on his knees and raised his arms when he beat Dan Evans (30) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Colombian victory

The 22-year-old tennis player, who called this victory the most important of his career, dealt a heavy blow to the 10-time champion of the competition.

“I was exhausted (tired) from playing good games, the time to win has arrived,” Mejía celebrated amid the jubilation and shouting of hundreds of fans.

On the clay court, Mejía suffocated Evans, who was overwhelmed by the height (2,560 meters above sea level). “I measured him, I confronted him, I went out looking for him and I beat him (…) I am very happy to give the point, as I had said, to my teammates,” the Colombian tennis player added to the media.

-The afternoon did not end perfectly for Colombia because of Cameron Norrie, who equalized the series with a 6-2, 7-5 win against Nicolás Barrientos. The best tennis player (11) of all those gathered in Cota brought out his game and good reading of the times against 517 in the ATP ranking.

“I had to fight a lot for my team and today I was able to equalize everything”, said the left-handed player. The experience of the Colombians in these conditions worried the British since before the start of the series. Norrie complained about the short preparation time his delegation had.

Turn for Cabal and Farah

On Saturday it will be time for the debut of the doubles: Juan Sebastián Cabal and Roberth Farah (2019 Wimbledon and US Open champions) against Neal Skupski (2021 and 2022 Wimbledon mixed doubles winner) and Evans. Then the heavyweights, Norrie and Mejía, will clash in front of the coffee fans, unaccustomed to tennis but very boisterous in the Davis Cup.

Mejía “has played a lot in these conditions and today he played a good game,” acknowledged his rival on Saturday. “So I’m going to have to do ten times better to have a chance to beat him. Why not?” Norrie added. At the end of the ‘playoffs’ that are played this weekend, twelve countries will enter the group stage. Canada and Australia, current champion and runner-up respectively, in addition to Spain and Italy (invited) are already classified.

That instance will be held from September 12 to 17. The final phase, at the end of which the champion will be decided, is scheduled from November 21 to 26 in Malaga (Spain). — Results of the first day: – Great Britain and Colombia tied 1 to 1 Iván Mejía (COL) beat Dan Evans (GBR) 6-2, 2-6 and 6-4 Cameron Norrie (GBR) beat Nicolás Mejía ( Col) 6-2 and 7-5

AFP

More sports news