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Yes, Peque! Schwartzman beat Zgirovsky and gave Argentina the victory against Belarus in the Davis Cup

Argentina won the Davis Cup reclassification playoff series against Belarus 3 to 1, in a victory that was achieved thanks to Diego Schwartzman’s victory over Alexander Zgirovsky 6-1 and 6-2 in the central court of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.

The “Peque” Schwartzman, the tennis player with the highest ranking in South America since his 15th place in the ATP ranks, did not allow himself to be trapped by the ghosts of his previous failed match and surpassed the youthful Zgirovsky (1233) after little more than one game time, before no more than 2,000 people who approached the stands of the stadium located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo.

The 29-year-old Schwartzman had been hit hard after the incredible fall he suffered yesterday in the first point of the series against inexperienced youth Daniil Ostapenkov 6-4, 6-3 in the worst loss of his professional career.

The series was then paired with the triumph of Guido Pella from Bahia (82) over Erik Arutiunian, just 16 years old, by 6-1 and 6-2, so on Saturday the tie ended 1 to 1.

On Sunday he began to lean in favor of Argentina with the victory in the point of doubles that the Mar del Plata player Horacio Zeballos and the Máximo González from Tandil won against Daniil Ostapenkov and Erik Arutiunian by 5-7, 6-2 and 6-2.

Then came the victory of “Peque” Schwartzman to define the tie before playing the fifth point between Federico Coria and Ostapenkov, and in the last series of Gastón Gaudio as captain, in a goodbye that Télam had advanced 24 hours ago.

With this scenario, the “Peque” went out to play with the mission of completing a procedure that was to overcome the Belarusian Zgirovsky, give Argentina the classification to the “Qualifiers” to be played in March 2022 and also completely erase the image that had left the day before.

The “Peque” began the game very concentrated against an opponent who had nothing to lose and took the first set comfortable 6-1 with three service breaks (1-0, 4-1 and 6-1) and supported by a higher ball speed.

Immediately the public took note that the victory was approaching and began to sing the classic “Oh Argentina, it’s a feeling, I can’t stop” before the start of the second set, that ended up relaxing Schwartzman.

The tennis player emerged from the Hacoaj Yacht Club brought out more variants and with many flashes of quality launched several drops that were shattering the defense of Belarusian Zgirovsky.

The Argentine broke the service of his rival twice more, for 4-2 and 6-2, thus achieving a logical victory that he accompanied with a measured celebration due to the great difference in quality with the rival on occasion, he was barely allowed to throw his wristbands to the fans who chanted his name.

With the triumph of Schwartzman, Argentina won a series that had started complicated after Saturday’s 1-1, plus the first set lost this Sunday in the doubles, but that was finally defined easily by the enormous difference in hierarchy against a worthy rival who came to Buenos Aires with four juveniles.

The stage for the Argentine team was paved two weeks ago with the losses of the main rival rackets: Illya Ivashka (53), Egor Gerasimov (90) and the doubles player Andrei Vasilevski (82 in the couples ranking).

With a marked favoritism, by its own merits and weaknesses of the rival, Argentina suffered the first day and then led the game in a Buenos Aires that Davis recovered after 16 years, and that again had an audience in the stands.

Since 2006, Davis had visited five different stages, the Roca Park, San Juan, Mar del Plata, Sarmiento Park and even the Tecnópolis property where a brick dust court was improvised, since that distant triumph over the Czech Republic in March 2005, when he won by a loose 5-0 for the opening round of the World Group.

With the warmth and support of the fans, Argentina dodged Belarus and will compete again in March 2012 in the “Qualifiers” to try to return to the World Group.

That next series will be assumed by a new captain, most likely with “Magician” Guillermo Coria, who will succeed “Gato” Gaudio at the head of the team.

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