The struggle for promotion to the upper house in the Davis Cup is in full swing. Today (Friday), for the first time in four and a half years, a meeting at the factory began in Israel, with the national team competing against South Africa. The first to rise were Daniel Zuckerman and Lloyd Harris, when the Israeli gave a great fight and was a tough opponent, but eventually surrendered 6: 4, 6: 4 to 34th in the world.
Zuckerman, who jumped at the last minute in place of Idan Leshem, who was absent due to medical reasons, received great support from the stands in the Kirya Hall in Ashdod. He went up to an incredible 0: 2 lead in the first set, but Harris responded with four straight games and later won 4: 6 in the entire set. Also in the second set Zuckerman presented great tennis and responded wonderfully to the South African. He led 1: 3 and 3: 4, but was no more successful and surrendered 6: 4 in the second as well.
The winning team will advance to the battle for promotion to the upper house and the loser will go down to second place.
Act One: 4: 6 to Harris
Zuckerman opened with the submissions and took advantage of Harris’ mistakes to win the game 30:50 and go up to 0: 1 in the campaign. In the second game, too, Zuckerman was active and made the right moves. Harris got two break points when he went up to 15:40, Zuckerman did not panic and came back to 40:40 and continued with a simply fantastic ability on the way to a 0: 2 advantage in the campaign. The third game was all about the South African who came out of the shock a bit and shrank to 2: 1.
Harris continued well into the fourth game as well and went up to 0:30 as he made good use of his submissions and despite a point from Zuckerman won the game with an impressive volley and set up 2: 2 in the set. Zuckerman opened with the submissions and made a double error, ranked 34 flying on the waves of momentum and winning the game smoothly on the way to a battle advantage. The Israeli did not come to serve as a backdrop and presented excellent moves but it was not enough and he fell behind 4: 2.
The seventh game was good for Zuckerman who took the lead after four consecutive games and he also knew how to maintain the advantage on the way to 4: 3 in the summary of the match. Lloyd Harris served fantastically in the eighth game and already went up to 15:40, but Zuckerman with two formidable points forced a draw. The pressure gave its signals in Harris that Wally simply missed to the applause of the crowd, but corrected later, won the game and went up to 3: 5.
Daniel Zuckerman opened the ninth game with 0:30, Harris came back after a wonderful rally, but the Israeli got two breaking opportunities, which he took advantage of on the first try and shrank to 5: 4. Harris submitted to win the battle, but Zuckerman erased a 30-0 draw. It was not enough and the South African won the battle 4:6After 47 minutes when he encountered an uncompromising performance by the Israeli.
Act Two: 4: 6 to Harris
Daniel Zuckerman opened the second set with 0:30, but Harris took advantage of the Israeli’s mistakes and equalized. As in the first set, this time too Israel was first on the board and Zuckerman went up to 0: 1 in the set. Harris was not at his best but took advantage of his strengths in submissions to go up to 15:40 and later win the game and force a 1-1 draw. Zuckerman went great and regained the lead in the campaign with 1: 2.
Zuckerman put pressure on Harris, responded great from the back line and went up to 1: 3 in the second set. Harris displayed the qualities and scored two break points in the fifth game, Zuckerman stood heroically for the first time with a great move and after a long rally completely erased the lag and won huge applause from the stands. Zuckerman was repeatedly given opportunities to decide the game, but a huge battle developed between him and Harris and finally the South African with excellent technique achieved the break and shrank to 3: 2 in the campaign.
Ranked 34th in the world presented loose tennis in the sixth game and won easily on the way to a 3-3 battle. The seventh game is critical in the campaign and Zuckerman came up to it like the muzzle of a cannon and achieved a smooth victory with excellent submissions on the way to 3: 4. Harris responded with a quick 0:40 in the next game, the Israeli did not give up and erased the deficit with three consecutive points, but Harris achieved the break and set 4: 4.
In the ninth game Lloyd Harris had already gone up to 0:40, Daniel Zuckerman did not make life easy for him, but gave up on the third break point and the South African went up to 4: 5 and gained a first advantage in the campaign, being a game away from victory. Harris no longer let it slip out of his hands, completed a smooth game and won 4:6On the way to his team’s first victory.