As was the case last year in the duel with Latvia, which was ultimately won, this time the doubles are important for Austria in the play-off of the Billie Jean King Cup.
In the fourth singles match of the international match against Mexico, Tamira Paszek made it 2-2 on Sunday with a 7:5.5:7.6:3 victory over Giuliana Olmos. In the doubles, Kraus/Melanie Klaffner meet Contreras/Olmos.
Paszek wins a hard-fought game
Paszek fights for success against Olmos. In the first set, the Central American equalized a break deficit three times, but the local hero took serve from the 30-year-old a fourth time.
At the beginning of the second round, the Vorarlberg team is faced with a 0:2. Paszek turned the score to 4:2 even after treatment on the neck by ÖTV physio Katrin Müllner. But Olmos equalized there too and benefited decisively from a double mistake by Paszek, only to be sidelined.
In the third set this time Paszek started with a 2-0 thanks to more aggressive play, but Olmos didn’t let up.
After the Salzburg-born athlete equalized, the score was 4:3 on serve.
In the following game, Paszek sees her chance and strikes decisively before the 32-year-old keeps her nerve during her own service. “Today I gained a few more gray hairs,” said Paszek in his first reaction after the celebration and with the ÖTV bench still on the pitch in relief.
The double brings the decision
The doubles now follows, the winners will advance to the qualifying round of the 2024 World Group. The draw for this will take place on November 26th.
Olmos is a world-class doubles player, Contreras is also ranked 126th.
Kraus/Klaffner are therefore outsiders on paper, but they surprised in this situation last year. If the Austrians lose, they will play a Europe/Africa Zone I tournament in the spring, from where returning to the play-off phase is usually a tricky undertaking.
2023-11-12 17:36:42
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