Otto Virtanen knocked down the Dutchman who is in the top 70 of the world rankings.
Otto Virtanen succeeded wonderfully in the opening match. EPA / AOP
Finland’s historic streak in the Davis Cup finals started wonderfully. Otto Virtanen beat Holland in singles Botic Van De Zandschulpin 2–0.
The Dutchman’s ranking on the world list is 68, while Virtanen is ranked 125.
Despite the underdog status, Finland’s top promise did not squeeze the racket. The first set went to the Finn in a breakaway game 7–6 (7–0). The second set went faster. 6–4 burned on the scoreboard when Virtanen got to ventilate.
The series of matches between Finland and the Netherlands continues today, Tuesday. Emil Ruusuvuori meets Tallon’s Griekspoor. Later in the evening Ruusuvuori and Harri Heliövaara challenge the Dutch in doubles.
In addition to Finland and the Netherlands, the group also includes the USA. The two best countries in the group will qualify for the final tournament of the eight best countries on November 21-26. to Málaga, Spain.