ITS OVEEEEER!
SERBIA TURNS IT AROUND IN THE TIEBREAK AND WINS THE MATCH! 9-7 in the tiebreak of set 2. Overall, 3-0 to Spain.
tiebreak
In the tiebreak, Spain had two set points, 6-4 and 6-5, but Serbia equalized.
SET 2:
A. Davidovich Fokina / Granollers M. 6-6 Cacic N. / M. Kecmanovic. Let's go to Tiebreak!
SET 2:
The game is still level, but now at 5-5. If Serbia win the next game, it's game over.
SET 2:
All square! Spain and Serbia draw level: 4-4 in the second set that could end the match.
SET 2:
Spain leads 4-3 in the second set and needs two games to draw level.
SET 2:
Spain went on to win the second set and beat Serbia 2 games to 1.
0-1
Cacic N. / M. Kecmanovic win the first game of the doubles and take a 1-0 lead! Overall, 5-0 to Serbia against Spain.
SET 1:
Cacic N. / M. Kecmanovic break the serve of Davidovich Fokina / Granollers M. and take the first set 4-3.
SET 1:
Cacic and Kecmanovic level the match at 2-2 with Davidovich Fokina / Granollers M.
SET 1:
Spain wins the first set against Serbia.
Next Match:
The last match of the day between Spain and Serbia is the doubles clash: Davidovich Fokina / Granollers take on Cacic / Kecmanovic. The ball rolls shortly.
0-2!
SERBIAN VICTORY IN MATCH 2! Djokovic beats Davidovich Fokina 2 sets to 0 (3-6, 4-6) and the Serbs have already secured victory over Spain in the Davis Cup.
SET 2:
LOOK AT THE TURN! Novak Djokovic wins three games in a row, breaks Fokina's serve again and leads 5-4. He now needs just one game to win.
SET 2:
Djokovic recovers and breaks Fokina's serve with a 40-15. The score is 4-3.
SET 2:
Dadovich Fokina is well on the way to winning the second set. He has already won four games to Djokovic's two.
SET 2:
Service broken! Dadovich Fokina comes back with everything for the second set and breaks Djokovic's serve. He leads 3-1 and goes on to win the set.
SET 2:
Novak Djokovic levelled the score in the second set, but Davidovich Fokina came back to take the lead in the third and went on to win 2-1.
SET 2:
Davidovich Fokina took a 1-0 lead in the first game of the second set.
0-1!
Djokovic wins the first set over Fokina to take a 1-0 lead. Overall, Serbia are leading 3-0.
SET 1:
Davidovich Fokina had seven advantages to level the match, but he was ineffective. Djokovic had two break points and managed to break serve. He now needs just one game to win the first set.
SET 1:
Djokovic wins the fifth game, breaks Davidovich Fokina's serve and needs just one more game to close out the set: 5-3
SET 1:
Djokovic went 3-2 up, but Davidovich Fokina levelled the match at 40-15.
SET 1:
All square! Fokina leveled the match at 2 games to 2 with a 40-30 on Jokovic.
SET 1:
Jokovic ahead! The world number one closed out the second set at 40-15 and goes on to win 2-1 against Fokina.
SET 1:
Jokovic and Davidovich Fokina are level at 1-1, but the third set is very even.
Second match!
The second match is scheduled to start at 12 noon and will be between Davidovich Fokina and Novak Djokovic.
0-2!
SERBIA WIN FIRST SET! Djere wins the second set 6 games to 4, leads 2-0 and Serbia are ahead.
SET 2:
Djeres wins the 5th game and comes close to making it 2-0 in the set.
SET 2:
The players fight hard for the fourth game. It's already 40-40 and they can't get out of the lead
SET 2:
We're just over an hour into the match and Ramos-Vinolas is winning the second set 3-2 against Djeres.
SET 2:
All square! Ramos-Vinolas and Djeres go game for game and level at 2-2 in the second set.
SET 2:
The second set started like the first. Ramos-Vinolas took a 1-0 lead, but Djeres tried to equalize.
1-0!
Djere closes out the first set with 6 games to 4 against Ramos-Vinolas and puts him 1-0 up.
SET 1:
Djere leads 5-3 and can close out the set in the next game.
SET 1
Ramos-Vinolas loses serve and Djere goes ahead 3-2
SET 1
All square! Djere also made it 40-0 and leveled the set at 2-2.
SET 1:
Ramos-Vinolas managed to take a 2-1 lead, closing out the match at 40-0.
SET 1:
Ramos-Vinolas took a 1-0 lead in the first set, but Djere tried to equalize.
THE MATCH BEGINS!
All set for the first singles match between Spain and Serbia: Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs. Laslo Djere
Delay
We will be about 15 minutes late. The departure, which was scheduled to start at 9am, will start at 09:15am.
Clashes!
Match 1 (singles): Albert Ramos-Vinolas v Laslo Djere
Match 2 (singles): Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Novak Djokovic
Match 3 (doubles): Davidovich Fokina/Granollers v Cacic/Kecmanovic
Zapata Miralleson the match:
Zapata Miralles: "I realized how tense and nervous my first match was, for me it was a dream to make my Davis Cup debut and to do it at home, even though I didn't play 100%. Now it's my turn to learn from what happened and help the team in any way I can."
Djokovic on the match:
Djokovic: "I'm excited to be here. My priorities this year are Grand Slams and playing for the national team. So I really hope we can beat Spain tomorrow and qualify for Malaga as well."
Djokovic x Dadovich:
Needless to say, all eyes will be on Djokovic. The 36-year-old is likely to face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second singles match. The Spaniard has won just one of his five matches against Djokovic, falling to the world number one twice this year.
David Ferrer is hoping that Roberto Bautista Agut will be fit to play. The former world number 9 hasn't played since July due to injury and so Bernabe Zapata Miralles was forced to play singles for the first time in a defeat on Wednesday.
Hitory
Spain wins 2-1 against Serbia. This is the second meeting in consecutive years in the Final Group Stage in Valencia. Last year, when both teams played here, Spain won 3-0 to advance in their rivalry.
Spain has faced Yugoslavia (which Serbian players represented prior to 1995) in Davis Cup play-offs eight times between 1930 and 1995. Davis Cup playoffs eight times between 1930 and 1989, with Spain winning 6-2.
Whoever wins advances!
Spain know that only a win will be good enough. Should David Ferrer's team lose, they will not be able to progess to Malaga. In order to keep destiny in their own hands, they also need to win all three matches.
If Serbia win the tie then they will book both theirs and Czechia's place in the Final 8 - in fact if Serbia wins just one match then Czechia will be on the plane to Malaga.
What's at stake?
It's a big day for Spain in the 2023 Davis Cup Finals, as they take on Serbia in one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the week.
With the arrival of world number one Novak Djokovic, fresh from winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open last weekend, the Serbian team are at full strength as they look to reach the knockout stage of the finals for the first time since 2021.
Group C
The Czech Republic lead Group C, and will still face Serbia, who are 1-0 up, followed by Spain (0-1) and South Korea (0-2). Even if the Czech Republic don't win any more games, they only need Spain to lose a single match to secure their place.
Djokovic
"First there was Rafa, now Alcaraz. Spain has a great tennis tradition. Davidovich is my friend, someone very close to me and my family. In the last two or three years we've trained together many times in Marbella, so it will be a very difficult match for both of us", said Djokovic.
1 HOUR!
One hour to go for the Davis Cup match between Spain and Serbia
Channels for Spain vs Serbia on TV in real time?
Spain-Serbia
Davis Cup
Date: September 15, 2023
Time: 10am
Venue: Valencia, Spain
Broadcast: No broadcast in Brazil.
When is the Spain v Serbia match?
The Davis Cup match between Spain and Serbia will kick off at 09 am ET in Valencia, Spain. The match will not be broadcast in Brazil. You can watch it all here on VAVEL Brasil.
How the Davis Cup works:
Surrounded by great controversy, the International Federation hired footballer Gerard Pique's company and managed to get the Council to approve a profound change to the Davis Cup competition system in 2019. In January 2023, the deal fell through, but in 2023 the tournament will continue in the new format.
There will now be a final round - first made up of 18 countries and in 2022 reduced to 16 - played on a single surface over 8 to 10 days. In September, there will be a group stage (four groups of four countries). The champions and runners-up from each group qualify for the semi-finals and final in November. The matches are reduced to two singles and one doubles, all in best of three sets.
The World Group participants are selected as follows: the two finalists from the previous edition, two guests and 12 selected in a qualifying round of 24 countries (played two by two, with three-set matches and a change of venue according to the old rule).
Davis still doesn't count for ATP ranking points, but it has greatly increased the prize money, now giving financial rewards to the federations and the players separately.
Serbia's opening results:
Group C:
Serbia 3-0 South Korea
Dusan Lajovic 2-0 Seong Chan Hong (6/4, 7/6(3))
Laslo Djere 2-1 Soonwoo Kwon (4/6, 6/2, 6/2, 6/2)
Cacic/Kecmanovic 2-1 Nam/Song (3/6, 6/4, 7/6(5))
Spain's opening results:
Group C:
Czech Republic 3-0 Spain
Tomas Machac 2-0 Bernabe Zapata Miralles (6/4, 6/4)
Jiri Lehecka 2-0 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (7/6(5), 7/5)
Mensik/Pavlasek 2-1 Davidovich Fokina/Granollers (5/7, 7/6(6), 6/4)
Novak Djokovic
Serbia's Novak Djokovic held his first press conference in Valencia, Spain, where he is part of his country's team in the Davis Cup Group stage, and made a point of defending the absence of the Spanish number one, Carlos Alcaraz, from the competition.
"You have to protect the players in these situations. Of course there will be people disappointed that he didn't come to play for Spain, people who don't understand that he's tired at 20 and that someone 36, like me, is here. It's important to understand each context, last year he won the title and came to play, don't forget that, he came here with almost no time to rest", warned the Serb.
Competitors!
Espanha: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Roberto Bautista Agut, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Marcel Granollers e Bernabe Zapata Miralles;
Sérvia: Novak Djokovic, Laslo Djere, Miomir Kecmanovic, Dusan Lajovic e Nikola Cacic;
República Checa: Jiri Lehecka, Tomas Machac, Jakub Mensik e Adam Pavlasek;
Coreia do Sul: Soonwoo Kwon, Seongchan Hong, Yun Seong Chung, Jisung Nam e Minkyu Song.
Without Alcaraz and Nadal!
Group C includes the Czech Republic, South Korea, Spain and Serbia, with the matches taking place in Valencia, Spain. The Spaniards will have important absentees: Carlos Alacraz (2nd), who claimed fatigue, and Rafael Nadal, injured.
Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, missed Serbia's opening match against South Korea, but should be confirmed for the Czech Republic and Spain.
TIME AND PLACE!
The match between Spain and Serbia is valid for the 2nd round of the Davis Cup 2023.
Spain were beaten 3 games to 0 in the first round by a strong Czech Republic side, who also beat South Korea 3-0 in the second round and are practically guaranteed a place in the last 16.
Spain's big absentee is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish tennis player announced he wouldn't be taking part in the tournament shortly after his semi-final exit at the US Open, citing physical and mental fatigue.
On the other hand, Novak Djokovic, who has retaken his position as world number one, promises to be on court. The Serbian won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open and is expected to strengthen the Serbian team over the course of the week.
The ball rolls for Spain-Serbia at 10am in Valencia, Spain.
Welcome to the Spain vs Serbia commentary
Hello, soccer lovers! It's Davis Cup 2023 time between two strong tennis teams: Spain on one side. On the other is Serbia. Follow everything about the match between the Spanish and Serbs here, in real time on VAVEL Brasil.