Australia beat Taiwan in Davis Cup - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Australia beat Taiwan in Davis Cup

09/02/2008 08:21:53 PM Comments (0)

Australia clinched their Davis Cup tennis Asia-Ocean Group One play-off against Taiwan in dramatic fashion, as Lleyton Hewitt and Paul Hanley came from two sets down in the doubles to give their team an unassailable 3-0 lead against Taiwan in Kaohsiung.

Hewitt and Hanley, who had only played two Cup doubles before for a 1-1 record, rallied to beat Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu and Yeu-Tzuoo Wang 2-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2 6-2.

With Hewitt and Chris Guccione already winning the opening day singles, Australia wrapped up the tie before Sunday's reverse singles.

Australia will now play either Thailand or Kazakhstan in Townsville in April.

Hanley, the highest-ranked doubles player on the court, lost his serve twice in the first set.

The Australians led 4-1 in the second set tiebreak, but lost it after the Taiwan combination reeled off six straight points.

In the fourth set Wang was broken in the third game.

Hewitt, who improved his Cup doubles record to 5-3, clinched the set with a backhand volley and celebrated by unleashing a bloodcurdling version of his trademark "C'mon" war cry.

Each Taiwan player dropped his first service game at the start of the fourth set, as Australia sprinted to a 4-0 lead.

Maintaining the momentum, the Australians broke Lu in the first game of the deciding fifth set and secured another break on their way to completing a memorable victory.

It was Hanley's fourth win in six Cup doubles rubbers.

With Hewitt having played both days, Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald could decide to rest his top player on Sunday and give Alun Jones his first Cup game.

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