Botic van de Zandschulp has given the Netherlands the lead against host country Croatia in the group stage of the Davis Cup. The number 68 in the world had some difficulty in Split with Duje Ajdukovic, a 22-year-old tennis player who is just outside the top 200. Van de Zandschulp won in three sets: 6-3 3-6 7-5.
The Netherlands had already secured a place in the quarter-finals on Friday, with the final tournament starting in Málaga at the end of November. Led by team captain Paul Haarhuis, the Dutch team first defeated Finland, after which the team pulled off a real stunt against the United States. Van de Zandschulp was then too strong for Tommy Paul, while Tallon Greek Spoor defeated Frances Tiafoe, number 11 in the world. After Croatia’s defeat against Finland, the Netherlands was assured of a place among the top two in the group.