Croatia is now one win away from claiming their second Davis Cup crown after the team of Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig managed to beat the Argentina team of Juan Martin Del Potro and Leonardo Mayer on Saturday, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.
Davis Cup finals 2016 results: Croatia wins doubles match, on cusp of victory over Argentina
Croatia is nearing its second Davis Cup victory.
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The Davis Cup final features a first-to-three format, and after the two nations split the singles matches on Friday, the doubles match took on a new importance. That’s why both coaches elected to substitute Cilic and Del Potro, the top players for either nation, into the doubles match.
Both Cilic and Del Potro won their singles matches on Friday. They will now face each other in a critical fourth match on Sunday. If Del Potro manages to beat Cilic in that match — something he was able to do the last time they faced each other in the Davis Cup, in 2012 — it will be tied at two points apiece going into the fifth and final match, another singles competition.
It’s no surprise that Dodig and Cilic won the doubles match. Dodig is a successful doubles player and comes in at No. 13 in the ATP doubles rankings. They won after a two-hour, 42-minute match, putting up 33 total winners while taking 85 percent of first-serve points.
Del Potro has beaten Cilic in eight of their 10 matches. Sunday’s matches should be exciting to watch.
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