Denmark flexed their muscles in their Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group 2 first-round match against Ireland as a clean sweep of victories gave them the bragging rights.
They were tied at one rubber apiece after the opening day's action, but the Danes were ultimately too strong.
Nothing better than representing your country @Tennis_Ireland. Tough result out here in Denmark but all the same, great weekend! We left it all out there!! We will come back stronger! 💪🏼🙌🏽🇮🇪 #Daviscup #Pumped pic.twitter.com/fnWsrcAEQM
— Peter Bothwell (@Peterb95) February 4, 2018
In a change of doubles partnerships, Osgar O’Hoisin and Sam Bothwell made their Davis Cup debuts. They came up against Freddie Nielsen and Thomas Kromann who really showed their class in the tie.
They broke Ireland in the first service game of the match and that set the tempo for the rest of the set, taking the set 6-4.
The second set was more competitive with O’Hoisin and Bothwell racing in to a 2- 0 lead and the tide looked to be turning until the Danes composed themselves and broke back in the following game.
It was a tight affair throughout and with the set level at 4-4 Denmark started to turn the screw and broke O’Hoisin & Bothwell once more to make it 5-4 and were now in position to serve for the match.
The Danes went on to take the rubber 6-4 6-4 in a clinical performance.
Freddie Nielsen went in to his tie full of confidence on the back of his doubles win this morning. He didn’t give Peter Bothwell any chance to settle and meant business from the first game.
Bothwell battled hard throughout the two sets and never threw in the towel, but Nielsen was composed and used all his experience to carve out a 6-1 6-1 victory.
With the contest over at 3-1 Simon Carr took on Soren Olesen. Carr couldn’t claim his first Davis Cup victory though after coming out on the losing end 8-10 in a match tie break in the third set.
Ireland now focus their attention towards the relegation play-off against Norway on 7/8 April.
