Australia clinch Davis Cup tie with doubles win

Australia advanced to a play-off for a return to the World Group after completing a 3-0 victory over Taiwan in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania zonal tie .

By (AFP)

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Published: Sat 6 Mar 2010, 11:30 AM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:05 AM

The combination of Carsten Ball and Paul Hanley clinched the best-of-five match tie at Melbourne Park with a straight sets win over Yang Tsung-hua and Yi Chu-huan in the doubles rubber.

The Australian pair prevailed in two tiebreak sets before rounding out a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 victory.

Australia, 28-time winners of the Davis Cup, won both the opening day singles on Friday to take a commanding grip on the tie.

Bernard Tomic, at 17 Australia’s youngest Davis Cup player in 77 years, crushed Yang, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 and Peter Luczak downed Yi 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Australia will now face the winner of the tie between Japan and the Philippines in the second round from May 7-9 for a place in the elite 2011 World Group.

Australia last won the Davis Cup in 2003 when they defeated Spain 3-1 in Melbourne.

Both Australia and Taiwan are without their top-ranked players this weekend.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt is sidelined after recent right hip surgery, while Lu Yen-hsun decided to pass on the tournament.

The reverse singles of the Melbourne tie will be decided on Sunday.


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