On February 7th, the second day of the men’s tennis national competition “Davis Cup Final Qualifying Round 1 Japan vs. Austria” was held at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. On the second day, after a record of 1 win and 1 loss on the previous day, Japan won the doubles match and took the lead, but lost the next two singles matches and lost to Austria with a total of 2 wins and 3 losses. As a result, Japan missed out on advancing to the second round of the Finals qualifying round in September and moved to the first division of the World Group.
[3rd match]
〇Yosuke Watanuki / Takeshi Yuzuki 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 6-4 ●Lucas Miedler / Alexander Erler
The first doubles match of the day featured Yosuke Watanuki, who won the singles match the previous day, and Takeshi Yuzuki (ATP doubles No. 95), who will be paired with him in the Davis Cup doubles match. On the other hand, Austria has the proven pair of Miedler (23rd place)/Eller (38th place).
The match continued with both teams holding their serve without yielding. The first set went to a tie-break, with the Japanese pair winning the match and taking the lead. The second set was evenly matched and went to a tie-break again, but the Austrian pair won back and the match went to the final set.
In the final set, the Japanese pair stayed focused and succeeded in breaking in the seventh game. They maintained this lead and won a fierce battle for nearly three hours, giving Japan a valuable second victory.
Yuzuki, who won her first Davis Cup victory, said, “Personally, I’m really happy to have won for the first time.I’ve spent the past year thinking about what I would do if I were Yosuke.”Watanuki also reflected on their growth as a pair and their fierce battles, saying, “It was a very tough game and there were a lot of painful periods, but it wasn’t as bad as the frustration of losing.It was a great game that made me remember last year’s loss.”
[4th match]●Shintaro Mochizuki 3-6 3-6 〇Lucas Neumayer
In the fourth game, with just one victory left, Shintaro Mochizuki, who was expected to be Japan’s ace, appeared. Austria has appointed 23-year-old Lukas Neumayer to replace their original ace Offner.
Mochizuki was pushed by Neumeier’s aggressive play from the beginning and lost the first set 3-6. Even in the second set, he was unable to change the momentum and lost 3-6 without being able to stop his opponent’s momentum. With this, the match result was tied at 2 wins and 2 losses, and the fate of the match was left to the final match.
Mochizuki, who suffered two losses, said with a somber expression, “I feel so sorry,” and said that the Davis Cup is a mountain he wants to overcome. “I want to surpass them, but I haven’t been able to do that for a long time.I think the top priority is for the team to win, so I would like to take on that challenge again, but I can’t say it with confidence right now,” he said, expressing his anguish.
[Game 5]●Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5 1-6 0-6 〇Yuri Rodionov
In the fateful final game, Japan went all-out, replacing Watanuki as originally planned with Yoshihito Nishioka. His opponent is Rodionov, who defeated Mochizuki on the first day.
In the first set, Nishioka rocked his opponent with a tenacious rally, successfully breaking at 5-5 and taking the lead at 7-5. However, Nishioka, who had not been in full health since his injury and just before the match, clearly started to lose momentum after the second set. Rodionov’s strong hit made it a defensive battle, and they lost 1-6, 0-6 in a row.
Nishioka expressed the limits of his condition, saying, “I won the first set, but after that my body just couldn’t keep up.” Although this was his first time being used in a 2-2 situation where the outcome was decided, he looked up and said, “Still, I was able to reaffirm my ability and my strength in the Davis Cup.”
Director’s comment
■Japan/Director Go Soeda
“Although I am disappointed in the result, it was a great learning experience for Yuzuki, who partnered with Watanuki in doubles, to win for the first time. Under difficult conditions, the players did their best to prepare for this day, and I have no regrets. (Regarding Mochizuki) I hired him because I believed he would become stronger even in times like this.I thought this arrangement was the best, but I am also responsible for the painful experience that he experienced.However, this is something that he must overcome in order to become even stronger in the future.
■Director Austria Melzer
“On the first day, we were forced to 1 win and 1 loss, and we lost the doubles as well, leaving us with 1 win and 2 losses, but our two singles players put up a great fight for our country. In particular, Yuri picked himself up from a tough situation and pulled out the victory. As a coach, I’m proud that we were able to turn things around and advance to the September round with our team’s united efforts.”
Match results
Japan 2-3 Austria
[1st match]Yosuke Watanuki 6-3, 6-4 ●Sebastian Offner
[2nd match]●Shintaro Mochizuki 4-6, 5-7 〇 Yuri Rodionov
【Game 3]〇Yosuke Watanuki / Takeshi Yuzuki 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 6-4 ●Lukas Miedler / Alexander Erler
[4th match]●Shintaro Mochizuki 3-6 3-6 〇Lucas Neumeyer
[Game 5]●Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5 1-6 0-6 〇Yuri Rodionov
Interview and text: Akemi Hosaka Photography: Koumi Ito
