Davis Cup: Alex de Minaur loses to Alexander Zverev as Germany leads Australia 1-0
Updated
Teenager Alex de Minaur showed great courage in his Davis Cup debut before going down to world number five Alexander Zverev 7-5, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), as Germany took a 1-0 lead over Australia in Brisbane.
Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt had thrust the 18-year-old de Minaur into a maiden Davis Cup appearance against his more fancied opponent Zverev, but he showed he has a taste for the high-pressure environment by stretching the towering German to five sets on Pat Rafter Arena.
Australia's number one Nick Kyrgios will play Jan-Lennard Struff in the second singles rubber on Friday.
The Sydney-born de Minaur, who is based in Spain, justified Hewitt's surprise selection as Australia's number two singles player with his stirring display.
Despite being Australia's number five at 139 on the world rankings, Hewitt went with de Minaur after a purple patch last month that included a Brisbane International semi-final berth and his first ATP World Tour final appearance in Sydney.
Zverev capitalised on de Minaur's nervous start to jump to a 3-0 lead in the opening set.
But the Australian hit back to lock it up 5-5 before Zverev's experience showed, winning the first set in 47 minutes.
De Minaur broke in the fifth game of the second set, making the most of Zverev's 23 unforced errors to claim it in 45 minutes.
And suddenly it was game on after de Minaur went two sets up, capitalising on a break in the seventh game of the third set.
Zverev then fired up, breaking de Minaur in the eighth game to claim the fourth before finally ending de Minaur's resistance 7-4 in the fifth-set tie-break.
The winner of the Brisbane tie advances to the Davis Cup quarter-finals in April, either hosting Great Britain or travelling to face Spain.
The losing nation will contest September's World Group play-offs to be held later this year.
Australia, looking to end a 15-year Davis Cup title drought, has reached the World Group semi-finals twice in the past three years.
ABC/AAP
Topics: tennis, sport, brisbane-4000, germany
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