“I’ve never experienced anything like it”
The Swiss team of Captain Heinz Günthardt is outsmarted by Russia in the 2-0 draw in the final of the Team World Cup in Prague.
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–Confused Swiss: Captain Heinz Günthardt and his players think that the Russians acted unsportingly.
Photo: Keystone
Heinz Günthardt (62) has experienced a lot in his more than 50 years in tennis. But what happened before the final of the Team World Cup against Russia on Saturday in Prague, caught him completely by surprise: Minutes before the start of the final, the Russians declared their team leader Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (WTA 12) to be unable to play. And so Bencic did not meet Russia’s number 1, but their replacement Liudmilla Samsonova, to whom she had already lost twice in 2021.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it and didn’t even know that there was a rule that could be used to manipulate the list and replace number 1 with number 5,” said Günthardt. «That got us completely off track. Belinda had prepared for a game against Pavlyuchenkova or Kasatkina – and then everything was completely different. “
It was a frustrating final at the Billie Jean King Cup for the Swiss women who had lost their only final of the Team World Cup 23 years ago – in Geneva against Spain. Jil Teichmann (WTA 39) lost to Daria Kasatkina 2: 6, 4: 6 in the opening game of the 11 ranks better, then Bencic could not prevent her third defeat against 22-year-old Samsonova (WTA 40) and lost 6 after 2:22 hours : 3, 3: 6, 4: 6. That’s it.
Had Igor Andreyev Pavlyuchenkova’s team replaced earlier, Samsonova would have moved into the team as number 2 and would have had to play against Teichmann, against whom she has lost two previous duels.
Tears instead of triumph
The Russian trick worked perfectly. Samsonova, a 1.80 m tall power player, has improved from 127th to 40th place this season and played with youthful recklessness. Bencic would undoubtedly have had the easier game against Pavlyuchenkova, against whom she leads 5-2 in a direct comparison. The Olympic champion fought just as doggedly as unsuccessfully, especially on the crucial points of sets 2 and 3.
–Bitter end: Belinda Bencic can see the disappointment after the defeat, in the background the Russians are cheering.
Photo: Keystone
So the evening ended in tears for the Swiss women instead of in triumph. “I left my heart on the pitch and would have liked it to be different,” said Bencic. She was combative: “I believe in sport and that it gives you something back. We’ll try again and again until we make it. ” She also suspected the Russian women: “If you can look in the mirror and say we won – then congratulations.”
Teichmann didn’t hold back with her opinion on the Russians’ fifth title win (after 2004/05/07/08): “It had nothing to do with my match. But I think it’s pretty dirty what they did. “
“Bad luck with injuries – or fraud”
Günthardt explained the absurdity of the rule of being able to replace a player with a substitute in the (quite possible) case of injury: “It was made when the matches were still over five games and must be abolished. It would be logical that number 2 would move up if number 1 were to fail. “
The obvious suspicion that manipulation was taking place overshadowed a wonderful week of competition. Günthardt: “It’s like a team pulling out a penalty with a swallow. Pavlyuchenkova either had bad luck with injuries – or it was fraud. “
Russia refuses to play in white
The Russian banter had already started before the game with the refusal to do without the red shirts – although the team had already played in white that week. The Swiss women didn’t have any white camisoles with them. In the end, both teams played in red, but the first excitement was there.
For Switzerland it is little consolation that, like Russia, they are already qualified for the final tournament in 2022, while nine teams have yet to prevail in a playoff. Thanks to a wildcard, the hosts are also qualified, although this has not yet been determined.
The defeat should weld the Swiss team together even more. «Will we come back? In any case, »said Günthardt. “The men won the Davis Cup, and we really want this Cup. We didn’t fail here either, we got the maximum out of it. “
So, that ends our live ticker from the final. Thanks for watching, here is a short summary. Until next time.
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3: 6, 6: 3, 5: 4 – and now Liudmilla Samsonova serves to win the Team World Cup. And how: 30:15, then 40:15 – two match balls. 2:21 hours are played, and she’s about to grab the first one.
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Bencic sets to 30: 0, then to 40:15. But Samsonova is like a fish that keeps slipping away from her. Deuce. But Bencic stays cool, reduced to 4: 5. Good thing, because now Samsonova has to serve the match himself.
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The audience is now loudly behind Bencic. That doesn’t help her much, she loses the eighth game.
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Bencic stays tuned, gets Game 7.
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Bencic shortened to 2: 3 and made the next attempt to get the break back. She wins two of the first three points – that looks good. And she also gets a break ball, which the Russian cancels. It just doesn’t work for Bencic in the crucial moments, she can’t prevent the 2: 4 either.
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Even Bencic can do little against the brutal blows of the Russian. In the fourth game, however, she can catch up with a 40-0 win for the Russian. Debut. And the Uzwilerin even fought for a break ball, but forgives it. Samsonova stays focused and makes it 3-1.
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Bencic makes an impact, plays a double fault and falls back 0:30. She fights with an iron will, gets the next three points. A “dogfight”, the Americans would say. Gamepoint here, breakpoint there. Undoubtedly a decisive game, with the score 0: 2. Ultimately, it goes to Bencic – that was possibly capital. The third set has already played 20 minutes.
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Already at the beginning of the 3rd set, Bencic is in trouble again, she falls back 0:40 and cannot fend off the break to 0: 1. And also not the 0: 2 against a wildly determined opponent who simply brings a little more horsepower than the Olympic champion and now plays like unleashed.
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After 83 minutes, the Russian can equalize, giving Bencic no chance. Switzerland is one sentence short of losing the final. Bencic again played a strong set, she only made five unforced mistakes and continued to play aggressively. It’s a shame that she couldn’t use four breakballs to make it 1-0.
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The eighth game is also controversial, Bencic gets it after a 15:30 with three points. “Allez!”, Günthardt shouts over and over again, clearly audible. And many “Hopp Schwiiz” shouts can also be heard from the stands.
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The forehand of the Russian is running at top speed, Bencic can do little to counter her in the 7th game.
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In the sixth game, Bencic comes under pressure again as the server. But she can fend off a first breakball. The athletic Russian gets a second one. And the Russian gets this on the line thanks to a fantastic forehand.
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The fourth game goes to St. Gallen without losing points. She has found her rhythm – just like the Russian, who keeps her lead.
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The Russian woman is now serving impressively, sometimes at almost 200 km / h. The third game will get her for sure.
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That likes: Bencic brings her first service game in the second set into the dry without any problems, 1: 1.
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The first game in set 2 is long and has some spectacular rallies, like praise from Bencic. Nevertheless, she loses the game. It’s a shame, she had a total of four breakballs.
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Now the head referee comes to the court and admonishes Belinda Bencic. The St. Gallen woman had turned her back on her opponent while she was once again patting the ball infinitely before the second serve. Sure: the receiver must follow the rhythm of the server. “But I only did it once and it always takes her so long,” said Bencic. “Why do you think I’ll do that over and over again?” She is irritated to the tips of her hair. She feels that she has been treated unfairly and scolds the referee: “You tell me I’m delaying the game? She does it all the time. “
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The next breakball belongs to Bencic: And she uses it, takes a 5: 3 lead. Bencic clenches his fist. And wins the next game without losing points – and thus the first set 6: 3. Bencic showed an excellent set after falling behind on Break. She only made three unforced errors according to statistics – and that at a horrific pace.
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When the score was 3: 3, Captain Günthardt turned to the referee and complained about the extremely slow play of the Russian. She takes an enormous amount of time, especially before the second serve. Then Bencic gets the seventh game, she leads 4: 3 after half an hour.
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