Canada vs. Slovak Republic

Day 3 (September 21, 1997)

Results:

Sunday:
Karol Kucera, Slovakia, def. Sébastien Lareau, Canada, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.
Dominik Hrbaty, Slovakia, def. Daniel Nestor, Canada, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3.

Saturday:
Grant Connell/Daniel Nestor, Canada, def. Dominik Hrbaty/Jan Kroslak, Slovakia, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Friday:
Karol Kucera, Slovakia, def. Daniel Nestor, Canada, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-0)
Dominik Hrbaty, Slovakia, def. Sébastien Lareau, Canada, 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3

Slovakia win 4-1.
 

 

A flu-stricken but opportunistic Karol Kucera of Slovakia overcame Canada's Sébastien Lareau, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3, giving Slovakia an unbeatable 3-1 lead in their Davis Cup tie and thereby assuring Slovakia's participation in the prestigious Davis Cup World Group in 1998.

 

In the "meaningless" final match, a relaxed Dominik Hrbaty grinned and blasted his way to a 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3 triumph over Daniel Nestor, giving Slovakia a clean sweep of the singles matches. This weekend will have been a confidence booster for the 19-year old Hrbaty, as he won two matches on indoor carpet, a surface that normally gives him trouble.

Kucera's case of the flu was the best-kept secret of the week, as it was revealed only after today's match. Karol confessed, "I was a little bit sick. I had the flu and was coughing all weekend, and I didn't practice much yesterday. But I was surprised at how well I felt physically once the match started." When a reporter jokingly scolded Slovakian captain Miroslav "The Cat" Mecir for not disclosing Kucera's illness to the press earlier, Mecir smiled, and with a feline glint in his eye, volleyed: "You didn't ask."

As the first set began, it was clear that Kucera was not displaying the same high level of play that he had showed on Friday in his straight-set win over Daniel Nestor. Lareau took advantage of some nervous Kucera serving, breaking the Slovak three times in the opening set to overcome two breaks of his own service.

As he had promised, Lareau was effectively smothering Kucera with constant net rushes and aggressive returns and baseline play, keeping the Slovak on his heels and dictating the tempo of the opening set. The 2,000 fans were roaring with delight, although they had to work hard to drown out the boisterous Slovakian bench, whose lusty cheering was led by the effervescent Hrbaty. Lareau unsuccessfully served for the set at 5-4. But he broke back, got another chance at 6-5, and finally converted his third set point when he anticipated Kucera's cross-court forehand pass and knocked a forehand volley into the open court.

Lareau squandered his early lead in the second set, when he gave a clinic on how not to play big points. In the second set the Canadian continually had Kucera in trouble, gaining six break point opportunities, but he converted none of them. Lareau lost of his break point chances  from missed shots off his own racquet: three returns sent into the net, one forehand sent too long, one netted forehand pass attempt, and a forehand volley pushed wide. Lareau: "I blew it by not converting those five [six by my count] break points in the second set. It gave him confidence, and meant that I always had to come from behind when I should have been ahead." Kucera: "I served pretty well on the break point chances, but maybe I was lucky too."

While Lareau squandered his opportunities in the second set, Kucera didn't miss his. He was two-for-two in break points, the second coming on set point when yet another Lareau forehand found the net. Kucera gladly accepted the gifts, taking the second set 6-2 and evening the match.

In the opening game of set three, Lareau's lack of opportunism continued. After losing two more break chances, this time because of fine forehand winners by Kucera, Lareau got a third break opportunity in what proved to be the turning point of the match. He ran down a Kucera drop volley and slid an unreturnable crosscourt backhand just over the net for what he thought was a winner. Not so fast, said chair umpire Donna Butler, who ruled the ball had bounced twice and gave the point to Kucera, despite fervent protests by Lareau and Canadian captain Louis Cayer.

After the match, Lareau was still seething over Butler's decision: "I was sure that ball only bounced once," said a dejected and red-eyed Lareau. From my vantage point, I thought the umpire's decision was correct. But the bottom line was that Lareau had just lost nine successive chances to break Kucera's serve, and Kucera did not let him have another such opportunity for the remainder of the match.

One sensed the match had swung Slovakia's way. Frustration was evident in the Canadian's face, and Kucera started to step up the level of his game, now nailing the returns and passing shots he had shown us on Friday against Daniel Nestor. The players held serve in the third set until 4-5, with Lareau serving to stay alive in the set. Lareau played a poor game, missing a difficult a backhand volley to put the score at 15-40. then pushing a forehand long on set point. With that, Kucera took the all-important third set, 6-4, and had the 2-1 lead in sets.

In the fourth set Lareau showed signs of fatigue and dejection, but continued to fight hard. In vain, as Kucera kept stepping up his level of play and sensed the kill. The Slovak broke Lareau's serve at love to lead 5-3, and closed out the match impressively with an ace just inside the sideline on match point, ending a four set, 2 hour, 40 minute struggle and clinching an important Davis Cup win for Slovakia

The ecstatic Slovakian team mobbed Kucera, then grabbed him and, with some difficulty, tossed him into the air three times. While the Slovaks celebrated, Lareau sat alone on his chair for several minutes, sipping a bottle of water and staring blankly into space, musing about the chances he wasted in both of his matches this weekend.

As I strolled past the Slovakian dressing room, I could hear much yelling and wall-banging going on. And why not? The young nation is now about to make its first appearance in the Davis Cup World Group.
 

Looking ahead to 1998:

With this weekend's win over Canada, Slovakia completes a remarkable four-year rise through the qualifying groups to the World Group. During that time, Slovakia's only defeat came against Tamer El Sawy and the fearsome Egyptians in 1995. Miroslav Mecir comments: "I didn't really expect us to reach this far four years ago. I enjoyed playing in the World Group when I played for Czechoslovakia, and I am looking forward to it as a captain."

Slovakia still has not developed a world class doubles player. But with a strong trio of young singles players in Kucera, Hrbaty and Kroslak, the future looks bright for the Slovakian team.

And here's an interesting twist: The Slovaks will be joined in the World Group by their former cohabitants of Czechoslovakia, the Czechs. When Kucera was asked who he hoped to play in the first round next year, he smiled broadly and answered, "the Czechs, at home." An interesting prospect that would be, indeed!

Whither Canada? Louis Cayer's squad, weakened by Grant Connell's retirement, now returns to American Zone qualifying rounds, armed only with doubles specialists Nestor and Lareau and little else on the horizon. Furthermore, chances are that Canada, which had the luxury of playing all three of its ties at home this year, will have to make at least one perilous trip to the slow clay courts of a Latin American nation in 1998.

As always, captain Louis Cayer talks bravely: "I'm confident that in 1998 we can qualify for the World Group. Nestor and Lareau are still young and should improve. We have some young players like Bobby Kokavec and Jocelyn Robichaud making strides on the Challenger circuit. Plus there's Sébastien Leblanc, who beat Henman this summer." Be that as it may, Canada's chances of getting as far as they did this season do not look rosy.