The Dutch Davis Cup team almost choked in Switzerland, but in the end the Dutch tennis players still won in a thrilling Martiniplaza: 3-2
Revelation Leandro Riedi and Marc-Andrea Hüsler brought the Dutch team to the brink of the abyss, but ultimately had to recognize their superiority in Tallon Greekpoor and Botic van de Zandschulp respectively. The Netherlands qualified for the last sixteen in the Davis Cup thanks to the victory.
Team captain Paul Haarhuis was visibly relieved after all the smoke cleared in a steamy Groningen hall. After the winning point, Van de Zandschulp threw his racket to his bag, exhausted and tired, the victory had to come from afar, it turned out.
Riedi impresses
On paper, there seemed to be no problem and the low-ranking Swiss would be thrown outside the Groningen city walls with Gruyère cheese and feathers. “But in a Davis Cup anything can happen,” team captain Haarhuis warned prior to the two-day meeting in Martiniplaza. And nothing turned out to be further from the truth. Riedi in particular made a big impression. On Friday he defeated Van de Zandschulp, on Saturday the Swiss rammed the Dutch doubles duo off the track and then Greek Spoor had to do everything they could to bring the Netherlands alongside and thus force a fifth match.
‘There is nothing to be gained here’
“We did get them around,” sighed 35-year-old doubles player Wesley Koolhof. “Everything went fast. The serve, the returns.” Riedi and Hüsler served and returned better. It was therefore not surprising that the Swiss duo won the two tiebreaks to give Switzerland a 2-1 lead. Immediately after winning the double, the world number 385 was able to get back to work. Now in the singles against Greekspor. The number 29 in the world rankings had to pull out all the stops to beat Riedi. “We will definitely see this boy in the top 100,” said the tennis professional from Nieuw-Vennep. “I let him know, together with our audience: there is nothing to be gained here.”
‘Botic silenced 3,500 Groningen residents’
That turned out to be the case in the end, although it took Van de Zandschulp in particular a lot of effort. “This indeed had to come from far away,” said a relieved Van de Zandschulp. “And what an atmosphere. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced,” Greekpoor complimented the Groningen audience. “Botic (Van de Zandschulp, ed.) should have used the audience more. He even managed to silence 3,500 supporters on Friday.” That was by no means the case on Saturday. Supported by more than 3,000 exuberant Groningen residents, Van de Zandschulp struggled to victory over Hüsler, who occupies position 199 on the ATP list.
Aided by a frenzied audience
The tennis player from Veenendaal lost the first set, but won the fifth tiebreak of the day to level the match. In the third set, Van de Zandschulp took the lead and never relinquished it. With the tiebreak won, a burden seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. He broke the Swiss twice and won the third and decisive set 6-3. Aided by a frenzied audience, a cheering Dutch bench and intense coaching Haarhuis, the Dutchman managed to win the last game, so that the Haarhuis team immediately qualified for the finals in September of this year. Haarhuis thanked the audience extensively: “That’s why we wanted to go to Groningen again. Although it took a little more effort this year, but what a fantastic audience you are.”
Wesley Koolhof: ‘It will be late in Martiniplaza’
“Really nice to be in the north again,” smiled a disappointed Wesley Koolhof after his lost doubles match. “One day my grandmother will be in the stands and then we will lose.” Koolhof is the eldest son of Jurrie Koolhof, the former professional football player for Veendam, Groningen and PSV, among others, who plays for THOS (Tot Heil Onze Spieren) from Beerta. started playing football. “My grandmother still lives there, in my father’s parental home,” said the tennis professional. “No, I don’t think I’m going to Beerta tonight. It must be getting late here in Martiniplaza.”
Koolhof is in his last season and perhaps to the delight of his grandmother. “Grandma hopes that I can visit her more often now,” Koolhof laughed. His doubles partner Rojer, who is seven years his senior, is not stopping anytime soon: “I will continue for another year. Now that Wes is retiring, I have one less competitor. Then I can finally win the Australian Open.” Koolhof had to laugh about it, but was visibly disappointed by the loss: “Really a downer. But we probably tired Riedi so much that Tallon could easily beat him.”