Wesley Moodie became the new hero of South Africa’s Davis Cup team when he ran out a straight sets winner over Frederik Fetterlein in their Euro/Africa Group One promotion/relegation tie played in Odense, Denmark, on Sunday.
Moodie’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory moves the South Africans back into Group One of the competition after two years of languishing in the lower echelons of the competition.
This is the first away-win by the South Africans since Wayne Ferreira, Marcos Ondruska and Grant Stafford beat India in 1994.
Earlier South African number one Ferreira was beaten by Denmark’s number one, Kenneth Carlsen, 6-1, 7-6, (7-5), 6-2, which left the best-of-five match tie level at 2-2.
That left it all up to South Africa’s newest tennis hope and Moodie did not let the side down.
Carlsen so nearly ended up the hero for Denmark as neither Moodie nor Ferreira was able to crack the powerful serve of the left-hander on Friday and Sunday respectively. In fact, South African coach Kevin Curren had been surprised by the quality of the Danes returns the whole weekend.
”The only chance Wayne had in his match was when he led 5-3 in the second set tie-breaker. Other than that one would have to admit that Carlsen was too good.”
South Africa went into the final day brimming with confidence after Ferreira and Chris Haggard has taken the doubles rubber against Carlsen and Fetterlein 6-3, 7-5, 7-6, (7-5) to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. — Sapa