Davis Cup finals 2016 results: Argentina beats Croatia after huge Juan Martin Del Potro comeback

Argentina came from behind to beat Croatia in the 2016 Davis Cup final, being the first nation to reach three points in their best-of-five series.

Juan Martin Del Potro fell in an 0-2 hole against Marin Cilic to start the day, but he battled back and won the final three sets and the match, 6-4(4), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-3. That set up a match between Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Federico Delbonis of Argentina as the decider in the fifth and final match.

Delbonis bested Karlovic in straight sets and was dominant throughout the match. Delbonis won, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and with his victory, Argentina came from behind to win the Davis Cup.

The first set between Cilic and Del Potro was close. Del Potro played cleaner tennis with Cilic hitting 21 unforced errors to Del Potro’s 10. But he also had nine aces, and when the set went to tiebreak, he just edged out Del Potro with cleaner play. Cilic ultimately took the first set at 7-6(4).

There were many lost opportunities for Del Potro, who converted on just one of six break attempts while Cilic converted the lone break point attempt he had.

When play moved into the second set, things started to shift in Cilic’s favor. Cilic found himself serving at 5-2 in the second set after scoring a dominant break point over Del Potro. Going into that service game, Cilic had dropped just one service point the whole second set. But Del Potro fought back and even had a break point opportunity, his first of the set.

Though Del Potro fought to another break opportunity, Cilic kept holding on and eventually won the game and thus, the set. At this point, Croatia was just one set away from victory in the Davis Cup.

Del Potro held to start the third set, and then had a break point opportunity. Unfortunately for him, Cilic managed to fight back and fought off the break, making it 1-1 in the third. Del Potro held, and then Cilic also held, looking far more dominant than in previous games. He didn’t give up a point in that service game. They went back and forth holding serve until Cilic was serving, 5-6. He made some crucial errors and allowed Del Potro a triple set point attempt.

After Cilic won two points, Del Potro managed a huge return to seal the set for him and extend the match into the fourth set.

In the fourth, Del Potro threatened another break while up 40-15, but Cilic fought it off to keep it on serve at 2-2. Eventually, though, Del Potro scored the break and shockingly, the win. That pushed the match to a fifth and final set, one that Del Potro was dominant in en route to victory.

The Davis Cup scoring is a first-to-three format, with two singles matches, a doubles match, and then two more singles matches. Cilic won his singles match on Friday and teamed with Ivan Dodig to beat Del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in the doubles match on Saturday. At this point, Croatia was up, 2-1, given Del Potro won his singles match on Friday as well.

Del Potro winning his match forced the final showdown between Karlovic and Delbonis, and Delbonis came out on top to secure the title for Argentina.