Australia's Davis Cup team has taken a commanding lead against Sweden after the opening singles matches of their first-round qualifying tie held at the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm. Alex De Minaur and Aleksandar Vukic scored victories, putting the Aussies on the brink of advancing to the next round.
World No. 8 De Minaur set the tone, defeating Mikael Ymer 7-5, 6-1. The match marked De Minaur's return after his previous outing at the Australian Open, where he faced defeat against Jannik Sinner. De Minaur commented on the match's competitiveness, saying, "It was a competitive match, a very tough match. Mikael played well. I knew he was going to be a very tough opponent, so I’m very happy I got the win for Australia."
Ymer, who is making his comeback to the sport after serving an 18-month ban for anti-doping violations, initially put up stiff resistance against De Minaur. The first set featured intense rallies, including one which stretched 41 strokes. Despite this, De Minaur exhibited tenacity, winning the first set after 51 minutes and then dominating the second set to secure his victory after one hour and 27 minutes of play.
Following De Minaur's win, Vukic marked his Davis Cup debut with another victory, beating 21-year-old Leo Borg, the son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg, with scores of 6-4, 6-4. "Leo's a very good player. He made it very tough, and it's always tough to play in front of the opponent's home crowd. A match I’m very happy to win," Vukic said after his match.
Vukic's performance was particularly impressive, as he has recently risen through the ranks following strong showings at the Australian Open. His victory against Borg was significant, especially with Borg's father having won the Davis Cup 50 years ago.
With the matches on the first day yielding 2-0 for Australia, Lleyton Hewitt's team is now poised to follow through on this strong start. On the following day, the doubles match will feature Olympic champions John Peers and Matt Ebden, who are favored to win against the Swedish duo of Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson.
This promising lead for Australia is particularly notable as the team entered the contest without key players Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson, both sidelined with injuries. Vukic's entry was seen as not just timely but also symbolic of Australia's depth and resilience.
With the reverse singles set to occur after the doubles match, fans remain optimistic about Australia's chances of sealing the tie. De Minaur is set to face Borg again, aiming to exploit their earlier match-up, and Vukic will take on Ymer, closing out the first-round tie.
Australia aims for its second-round spot and, with momentum on their side, the team's performance so far has demonstrated both skill and determination. De Minaur's experience and Vukic's promising debut could be the twine to their ultimate success as they continue their quest for Davis Cup glory.