The Belgian men’s tennis team faced another setback in the Davis Cup qualifiers on Saturday, dropping into a 2-1 deficit against Austria after Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen lost their doubles match in straight sets in Vienna, according to reports from Belga.
Gillé, ranked 56th in the ATP doubles rankings, and Vliegen, ranked 173rd, fell 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to Austria’s Lucas Miedler (ATP doubles 24) and Neil Oberleitner (ATP doubles 41). The hard-fought encounter on the Vienna gravel lasted one hour and 55 minutes, swinging the momentum back toward the host nation in this second and final qualification round.
How the Tie Unfolded on Austrian Clay
The weekend clash in Vienna began on Friday with Gauthier Onclin (ATP 167) dropping the opening singles match to Austria’s highest-ranked singles player, Jurij Rodionov (ATP 142). Zizou Bergs (ATP 38) quickly leveled the score for the Belgian squad by defeating Lukas Neumayer (ATP 179) in straight sets.
Saturday’s doubles defeat by Gillé and Vliegen shifted the pressure squarely back onto the remaining singles fixtures. The first nation to secure three victories in the five-match series claims the tie. The Belgian selection traveled to Austria without top singles players Alexander Blockx (ATP 27) and Raphaël Collignon (ATP 47), both sidelined due to injuries, leaving Kimmer Coppejans (ATP 219) as the fifth member of the visiting squad.
Stakes for the Final 8 in Bologna
The winner of the Vienna encounter advances directly to the prestigious Final 8 of the Davis Cup, scheduled for late November in Bologna, Italy. Last season, the Belgian team put together an impressive run all the way to the tournament’s semi-finals before falling to host nation Italy.
Historical data shows that Belgium and Austria have met five previous times in Davis Cup competition, with the most recent prior encounter occurring in 2011. On every prior occasion, the Austrian side emerged victorious.
Remaining Schedule and Deciding Matches
With Austria holding a 2-1 lead, the outcome hinges on the reverse singles matches played later on Saturday. Zizou Bergs faced Jurij Rodionov in the first of the afternoon’s singles showdowns, followed by a final clash between Lukas Neumayer and Gauthier Onclin.
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