The_Guardian_-_2016-12-29

first Davis Cup title in Croatia
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It is fitting that Argentina’s never-say-die spirit was inspired by a player who had only recently made
one of the great sporting comebacks. Having recovered from a wrist injury that almost forced him to
retire, Del Potro stunned Wawrinka at Wimbledon, took silver after pushing Murray hard in their
unforgettable Olympic final, and gained revenge on the Scot by beating him when Great Britain hosted
Argentina in the Davis Cup in September.
Del Potro understandably dominated the headlines, both domestically and globally, but the Davis Cup
is a team event and he could not have done it without some help. It was Delbonis who provided the
finishing touch against Croatia, while Argentina would not even have reached the final without
Leonardo Mayer’s victory over Dan Evans in the semi-final against a resurgent GB, who had fought
back from 2-0 down to level the tie, thanks to the Murray brothers.
Having taken five hours and seven minutes to defeat Murray on the first day in Glasgow, Del Potro
had nothing left in the tank after surprisingly deciding to play in the doubles. The reasoning was
justifiable. Leading the tie 2-0, selecting their best player boosted their chances of sealing their place
in the final with a day to spare. But GB had other ideas and Argentina’s gamble looked to have
backfired when Del Potro decided that he was in no condition to face Dan Evans in the fifth rubber on
day three.
Murray had easily beaten Guido Pella to level the tie, meaning that Argentina were relying on their
supposedly unthreatening substitute, Mayer, to beat Evans, who had recently given Wawrinka the
fright of his life at the US Open. All Evans needed was a win over a player ranked No114 in the
world, whose previous match was a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 defeat to an obscure Belgian called Joris de Loore
in a Challenger event in St Rémy, and all was well when he took the first set.
But when Mayer’s fearsome serve clicked at the start of the second, Evans had no answer. The 29-
year-old rained down aces on Evans, drowning him with 15 in total and a first serve percentage of
84, taking control of the match before winning it in four sets to put Argentina into the final.
Mayer has produced little of note in 2016. He lost in the first round at the Australian Open, the French
Open and Wimbledon, did not appear at Flushing Meadows, and was last seen losing to Lithuania’s
Laurynas Grigelis in Brescia. Overall he played 27 matches this year, winning 12 and losing 15, and
his ranking has dropped another 15 places since he beat Evans. But Argentina’s historic victory
would not have been possible without his vital contribution. Argentina played their joker without
much confidence, but they had the last laugh. JS
3) Achmat Hassiem
In a sport that tends to see most elite athletes peak in their teen years or early twenties, it was
remarkable to see 34-year-old swimmer Achmat Hassiem compete in his third Paralympic Games for