Davis Cup 2024: Great Britain vs Finland - results & updates
Match three: Finland shines in the doubles event
Harri Heliovaara and Otto Virtanen provided the Finnish team with motivation in Manchester by conquering the British pair of Dan Evans and Neal Skupski with scores of 7-6(4) and 7-5 in the last match of the series.
"Lexus Great Britain Davis Cup Team Captain Leon Smith expressed his pleasure with how the singles matches went. 'Evo set the tone for us and performed exceptionally well. It's challenging to play as the clear favorite in those situations. Also, for Billy, it was the perfect start to his career—he took down a strong opponent in Otto, who has an impressive record in Davis Cup and a powerful style of play.'"
"We're going to be upset about losing that doubles match – it nearly caused us problems last year. I really hope it doesn’t happen again this time, as it was quite significant."
After just a few hours of celebrating their victory over Eero Vasa in the singles match, Evans and Skupski were back on the court. This time, they teamed up again, eager to replicate their successful doubles performance in Manchester.
The two teams were closely matched in the opening, leading to a tie-break in the first set. Finland took an early advantage, racing to a 5-1 lead before comfortably taking the set.
As the second set began, Evans and Skupski were determined to bounce back after losing the first. They faced break points in the opening game but fought hard, reaching deuce five times. Ultimately, the Finnish team managed to hold their serve, and the search for the first break of the match went on.
As both teams fought hard and were tightly matched on serve, it seemed like we were on track for another tie-break. However, Heliovaara and Virtanen had other plans.
In a thrilling finish, they managed to create three match points while the all-British duo fought to stay in the game. However, a flawless lob from Virtanen caught Skupski off guard, forcing him to rush back to make a return. In the end, the shot went out of bounds, giving Finland their first victory of the Group Stages in Manchester.
Match Two: Harris Shines in Impressive Debut, Helps GB Secure a Draw
Billy Harris made a memorable entry in his first match representing Great Britain at the Davis Cup, easily defeating Finland's Otto Virtanen with a score of 6-4, 7-6(4), clinching the overall win for the British team.
"The energy in the arena was incredible," Harris said with a smile during his post-match interview. "The support from the home fans really helped me during those intense moments. It truly made a significant impact, so I appreciate all of you."
"I believe this has been the highlight of my year. We compete every week for our own goals, but it was my first time representing my country, and it was an amazing experience."
Even though it was his first appearance in the Davis Cup, the world No. 101 displayed minimal signs of anxiety at the beginning of the match. The Brit's serve is certainly one of his strongest assets, and today proved to be no exception, as he took control during his service games. He hit an impressive 77% of his first serves and won 82% of the points (40 out of 49) when serving throughout the match.
After a few mistakes from Virtanen, Harris found himself with two chances to break at 2-2. He only needed one opportunity to capitalize, as Virtanen sent a poorly executed backhand slice into the net. Virtanen tried to respond right away, putting pressure on Harris, but Harris kept his composure and dealt with the threat before closing out the first set with an ace.
The British player kept the pressure on the world No. 109 at the start of the second set, taking a 3-1 lead after Virtanen made a double fault on a break point. However, just when the 29-year-old was close to securing the win, Virtanen rallied from the edge of losing to break back and tie the score.
With the score tied at 6-6, we moved into a tie-break. Virtanen began strongly, serving three aces in a row. Nevertheless, Harris worked hard to regain the momentum, drawing the Finn into long, challenging rallies from the baseline. This pressure resulted in Virtanen hitting a forehand into the net, giving Harris three match points.
After Virtanen made an impressive save with a fantastic forehand down the line, Harris delivered a powerful serve to the side, but the Finn hit it too deep, clinching a courageous victory in his first match and securing the tie for his nation.
Match one: Evans celebrates his 26th appearance in the Davis Cup with a victory in straight sets.
Great Britain gained a quick lead over Finland, who reached the semi-finals in 2023, as the seasoned Evans secured a win with scores of 7-6(3), 6-2 against Eero Vasa.
"I struggled for a while to connect with the ball properly," Evans mentioned during his interview on the court. "He played well and put pressure on me, but I began to improve my game in the second set and finished strong."
We want to sincerely thank everyone for showing up. Your presence means a lot to us, and you truly enhance the event. It makes a significant difference and we are really grateful for your support.
Today, Evans started his 26th appearance in the Davis Cup, placing him in a tie for second place on the all-time list for the most matches played for Great Britain, alongside Mike Sangster.
During their initial match, the Finnish player ranked 703 in the world immediately aimed to challenge the British player. Evans had to fend off two break points right from the start of his first service game.
From that moment, Evans improved his serving, successfully claiming 92% (33 out of 36) of points on his first serve. He also created four chances to break his opponent's serve during the set, one of which included three set points at 6-5.
Evans, who has achieved an impressive total of 16 victories representing his country, started the tie-break strong, quickly building a 6-1 advantage. He ultimately won the set when Vasa made a double fault.
Energized by the supportive home crowd at the AO Arena in Manchester, Evans resumed his strong performance in the second set, eager to maintain his momentum. The British player used his extensive experience in top-level competition to slowly grind down his Finnish opponent. With a significant advantage of two breaks, Evans put Great Britain just one step away from a 1-0 lead, ultimately securing the victory in one hour and 39 minutes.
