Chinese pair of Jie Cui and Faijing Sun clinch tie in doubles before Michael Agwi adds some consolation in singles
By Stephen Higgins
Di Wu’s Chinese side will leave Dublin with a 3-1 victory in Davis Cup Group II after a dramatic afternoon of tennis in Abbotstown.
In the opening doubles, the finest of margins went the way of the visitors as the partnership of Jie Cui and Faijing Sun overcame the spirited Irish pair of Conor Gannon and David O’Hare 6-2 7-5.
Then, in the fourth and final match of the contest, Michael Agwi recovered from a shaky start against Sun to earn a well received singles point with a 0-6 6-2 10-5 scoreline.
After the day one singles went to the visitors Yunchaokete Bu and the highly impressive Yi Zhou, it was up to Conor Niland’s doubles pair to keep the tie alive.
At the earlier start of 11am, Gannon and O’Hare took to the court against Cui and Sun. It was an indicator of the depth of this Chinese side as Cui ranks top 300 in singles, while Sun ranks just outside the top 200 in both formats of the game.
The visiting pair were solid from the off. They broke Gannon in the third game after strong play from the baseline that culminated in a punchy forehand. Cui and Sun broke again in the fifth game to cement their lead and it wasn’t long before the set fell to the visitors 6-2.
Thankfully for the home faithful, the second set brought a reset and the match became competitive and compelling.
O’Hare started proceedings with a solid hold of serve and that created some momentum. The set went with serve as the Irish settled into the action and started to apply pressure in return games. At the set’s midpoint, Gannon really came alive around the net, finishing points with a variety of skillful volleys.
By 5-5, there was nothing between the sides though Ireland had arguably played the better tennis. Then, after a mammoth game on Gannon’s serve, Sun elevated his game as the Chinese seriously threatened the Irishman’s serve. After some fine reactions, Cui and Sun broke through with a lob down the middle over the stranded Irish pair.
In an impressive display of will, Sun closed out the contest with a clinical service hold to give his nation the point and the tie.
With the contest decided, the final action for the home fans saw Agwi take on a late substitution: Sun once again. The Irish no.1 had originally been drawn to face China’s best singles option, Bu.
Fresh from his doubles success, Sun picked up where he left off in the singles. The 28-year-old broke Agwi in the second game and raced away with the set as the Irishman struggled to find his range. After the opener ended in a bagel, Irish eyes feared what could happen next.
But just in time, Agwi’s radar switched on as Sun lost some focus. The 22-year-old immediately broke his opponent’s serve and finally settled into the occasion. From there, the Irish no.1 rediscovered his groove on the forehand and serve in particular.
Agwi seemed to have the time he lacked in set one, while Sun looked unsettled with his patchy level. With much more authority and fluidity, Agwi took control of the set and broke Sun once more to clinch it 6-2.
With the crowd in full voice, a champions tie-break decided the matter.
Agwi continued his form into the climax and gained a large lead over Sun with a fine combination of power, solidity and athleticism. After a few bites on serve, the Irishman took the breaker 10-5 and earned his first home win for Ireland.
Ireland will now have a relegation play-off next February to retain its status in Davis Cup Group II.
