Johannesburg – Turkey pipped South Africa 3-2 in epic Davis Cup battle in the Europe/Africa Zone Group II played in Mersin, Turkey.
South Africa started Sunday 2-1 ahead thanks to a hard fought five set doubles win on Saturday by Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse. On Friday South Africa and Turkey shared the spoils with each team winning a singles rubber.
In the opening reverse singles rubber on Sunday, the number one players Marcel Ilhan came out against South Africa's Fritz Wolmarans.
Despite Wolmarans being ranked some 387 places lower than Ilhan on the world rankings Wolmarans did South Africa proud extending the top 100 ranked Turk to five gruelling sets.
Ilhan needed over four hours to beat Wolmarans 6-2, 6-4, 6-7
(5), 4-6 8-6 in a titanic battle to take the tie to a 2-2 score line.
Earl Grainger, the South African Davis Cup captain, then replaced his originally nominated number two player Tucker Vorster with Roelofse for the deciding singles rubber.
“Tucker suffered a lower back strain in his singles on Friday and we decided it was just too risky for Tucker to come out and play a decider,” Grainger said.
Roelofse fought from start to finish, battled not only Cem Ilkel in front of a partisan, rowdy Turkish crowd and suspect line calls and chair umpire.
It was another epic battle of well over three hours in which the Turkish number two eventually won 7-6 (11), 6-7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4 which gave the home team the 3-2 win over the visitors.
South Africa now will play Ireland in July in South Africa in a relegation match. South Africa will need to beat Ireland to remain in Euro Africa Group 2 for 2016. The loser will drop to Euro Africa Group 3.
“Obviously we are hugely disappointed not having won. But I could not have asked for a better effort from my team.
“We were so close to winning the tie but it wasn't to be. I feel we can take a lot of positives from the weekend in Turkey and we will soldier on and prepare for our tie in July with a positive mindset,” said Grainger. – Sapa