Serbia is
eliminated from the 2024
Davis Cup without the presence of
Novak Djokovic. The
team was led by Miomir Kecmanocvic and Dusan Lajovic, but they lost both in
singles and doubles against Slovakia. With the series decided, Serbia will not
advance to the next phase of the tournament.
The team
did not have the world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, who, a few days ago, fell in the
semifinals of the Australian Open and is preparing for his return in the
Sunshine Double. The 24-times Grand Slam champion has already expressed his
desire to win the Davis Cup again with his country before his retirement,
something that will not be possible in 2024.
Just six
weeks ago, Serbia was competing in the Davis Cup semifinals, although they fell
to the eventual champion Italy. Jannik Sinner's outstanding performance,
overcoming Djokovic and saving three match points, was a key factor in Italy's
aspirations. Djokovic expressed his disappointment at being so close to the
title for his country but falling short: "I really would like to win the
Davis Cup with Serbia. That's a goal," he said last year.
Surprising victory for Slovakia
In the
first match, Slovak Lukas Klein (No. 142) defeated
Miomir Kecmanovic (No. 40)
by 7-6(2), 6-2. In the second match, Dusan Lajovic (No. 53) tried to level the
series for the Serbians, but his opponent
Alex Molcan (No. 122) had a memorable
performance, coming back from a set down to secure the victory 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
With
Slovakia leading 2-0, Serbia could only advance by winning the next three
matches, but the hope was short-lived as they suffered a defeat in the doubles,
where Lukas Klein and Igor Zelenay overcame the pair of Kecmanovic and Nikola
Cacic by 7-6, 6-3.
With this
result, Slovakia qualifies for the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, which will be held
among the top 16 teams from September 10 to 15, aiming to reach the final-8. In
the case of Serbia, they will play in the 2024 Davis Cup World Group I, with
the sole objective of staying among the best teams in the world and aiming for
qualification in 2025.