Carreño and Bautista lead Spain to the semifinals

From less to more, Pablo Carreño tries to reach an optimal level every day in the ATP Cup. This Wednesday he completed the best of his three performances and achieved the point that Spain needed to get into the semifinals of the tournament by country, after Chile’s beneficial win over Norway. He beat Filip Krajinovic (6-3 and 6-4 in 79 minutes) with a show of strength, aggressiveness and courage that led him to add 30 winning shots with whom he overflowed again and again to the 29-year-old Balkan and 42nd in the world.

The National Team will face Poland on Friday (7:30, #Vamos), which went through with a victory against Argentina. And it will do so after also winning the tie against Serbia (2-1), since Roberto Bautista, a clear favorite against Dusan Lajovic, whom he had beaten on the four occasions they had faced (plus another two in Challengers), beat him again, this time 6-1 and 6-4 in 1h24. The Navy could not round off the day with both doubles, which Pedro Martínez and Albert Ramos, who had not yet intervened, lost to Cacic and Sabanov (6-7 (5), 6-3 and 10-5). The only one that leaves Spain in an almost perfect group stage (3-0 and 8-1).

In an environment favorable to the Serbs, whose community in Sydney is remarkable, Carreño went for it, without speculating from serve to second hit on each play. His pulse did not tremble or he did not mind failing on occasion, always playing with depth and risk against a dangerous rival on a hard court, with whom he had tied (1-1) face to face, after beating him in the ATP 500 final from Hamburg last July. Pablo shone at a great height, like the top tennis player that he is, an Olympic bronze. His category had served him to beat the Chilean Tabilo at half throttle and the Norwegian Durasovic with a little step to the front.

Later, Bautista maintained his intensity and concentration shown in the previous days against Garín and Ruud. From the start he swept Lajovic (5-0) and the first set closed with a 14/14 with first serves and only two unforced errors. In the second, he dropped the rhythm and strength of his hitting a bit, although he did not lose reliability, that house-brand consistency that makes his opponents desperate, and he knew how to suffer to avoid a break, add another and clinch a new success. Spain remains unstoppable in the competition (8-0) and aspires to everything.

“We have a chance to beat Poland”

“I think we have to be happy for having been able to play three games, win all three and feel good on the court, doing things well. That should give us confidence and we have a chance of beating Poland if we continue to play at a high level. We are going to take the tie with great enthusiasm, “said Bautista. “I knew that the first matches were going to cost me, because the preparation in this preseason has been very fair. You had to be very good attitude because physically I was not at 100%. Things have turned out as I thought. Against Tabilo it was very hard I was very demanding and the next day it was difficult for me to get up, Durasovic’s one helped me to get some sensations. This time my level has risen a lot, I have felt very well on the track and I hope to continue with this dynamic ahead of the semi-finals. “Carreño explained.

ATP Cup results.