Serbia misses Novak Djokovic once again: Eliminated in Davis Cup after Denmark’s incredible comeback

One of the most intriguing ties in the Davis Cup Qualifiers draw was Serbia vs. Denmark, with Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune as the main stars. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion had to withdraw after the injury he sustained at the Australian Open, which forced him to retire in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev.

A year ago, Djokovic's withdrawal at this same stage led to Serbia being eliminated in the first round by a surprising Slovakia. Despite Nole's absence, they seemed in a good position this time, with solid performances from Miomir Kecmanovic and Hamad Medjedovic putting them ahead 2-0 after the first day.

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However, Denmark still had a say in the matter. In the doubles, Rune teamed up with Johannes Ingildsen to defeat the Kecmanovic/Medjedovic pair in straight sets. In the fourth point, Rune put behind his painful loss from the previous day and easily defeated Kecmanovic 6-2, 6-4.

The decisive match featured world No. 149 Elmer Moller, who primarily competes on the Challenger tour, against the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals player Hamad Medjedovic, who had beaten Rune just one day earlier. Moller stunned by turning around a tough match, winning 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, and giving Denmark the decisive point, a team that seemed practically eliminated after the first day.

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Thus, the Danes advanced to the second round of the qualifiers and remain in competition for a spot in the Finals 8. On the Serbian side, for the second consecutive year, they will have to play a survival match in September against one of the winners from World Group I.

As for Denmark, they have advanced to the second round of the qualifiers and will face the winner between Switzerland and Spain, which will be decided this Sunday. Currently, Spain - without Carlos Alcaraz - leads 2-0 with wins from Pedro Martinez and Roberto Carballes Baena.

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