After the enchanting victories of the Russians on the first day, it seemed that the owners of the court in the resort of La Serena would take a psychological blow. Having all the trump cards, the Chileans shamelessly flashed cards that at least do not play. Moreover, our captain Shamil Tarpishchev went all-in and declared a couple of Friday triumphs Safin and Andreev, at the sight of which, on the other side of the grid, Massu and Gonzalez even detached the letters in the name of their native country from the form.
Easy fairy tale affects, even too much. In fact, it turned out that it was just our guys who, after the exploits of the first day, had tuned in for a couple.
An equal fight happened only in the first set. Each side was extremely careful on its pitch. The game without breaks was brought to a tie-break, where Massu and Gonzalez (by the way, the Olympic champions of Athens in a pair) were added in aggression and made Igor Andreev, who was playing off the net, make mistakes too often. The result of the mini-duel is 7: 3. The stadium was again boiling with passion and lit up with hope.
The entire second set of fires in the stands fed mistakes Andreev. Igor still played uncertainly ahead. Moreover, with the score 2: 1 in favor of the South Americans, it was his double mistake that allowed his opponents to break, which predetermined the outcome of the set.
But to say that Andreev was the weakest link in our couple and to blame for the defeat is not worth it. In the third set, Safin had already woken up a lot. He either gave out spectacular aces, or suddenly, in simple situations, he played out or in a net. At the beginning of the game, which became the final, Marat and Igor, however, had a good chance of catching on the set: they led 2: 1 and had a double breakpoint. But they could not realize it, having given victory with their own hands.
“I will not say that I am very upset,” Shamil Tarpishchev concluded at a press conference. - If someone had told me the day before that after two days we would be leading 2: 1, I would have been pleasantly happy. Therefore, now I prefer this state. If specifically about the game, then the reasons for the defeat are primarily psychological. The guys just could not get together after yesterday's victories. Chileans didn’t play very well. They played more reliable, more collected than us. And this predetermined the outcome. ”
On Sunday, in the final matches of the Russia-Chile confrontation, Marat Safin will play with Fernando Gonzalez, and then Igor Andreev with Nicholas Massu. To reach the quarter finals of the Davis Cup, one victory is enough for its owners. But she will have to give her strength for sure, as in ten.
Andrey IVANTSOV