IN a fascinating first couple of days of Davis Cup tennis, there were blowouts, upsets and nations returning to the higher Davis Cup group.

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Switzerland (5) defeated Estonia (0)

We predicted Switzerland to win easily at home against Estonia, and they did just that with a clean sweep of their fellow European nation. The Swiss rested their second best available player in Marc-Andrea Huesler, for teenagers 287th ranked Dominic Stricker and 1113th ranked Jerome Kym to get experience, and both came through with wins. Huesler teamed up with Stricker in the doubles to win that as well in a clean sweep, with the 34-year-old Vladimir Ivanov 11 years older than any of his teammates.

Dominic Stricker (SUI) defeated Vladimir Ivanov (EST) 6-3 6-4
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) defeated Mattias Siimar (EST) 6-4 6-0
M. Huesler/D. Stricker (SUI) defeated V. Ivanov/M. Siimar (EST) 6-4 7-6
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) defeated Daniil Glinka (EST) 7-6 6-4
Jerome Kym (SUI) defeated Siim Troost (EST) 6-3 6-1

Tunisia (3) defeated Dominican Republic (2)

The tough battle between Tunisia and Dominican Republic lived up to expectations, with a stunning upset in the opening match still not stopping the home nation from getting the win. The second ranked Dominican singles player in Nick Hardt – who turns 21 tomorrow – took down experienced Tunisian Malek Jaziri in a come-from-behind win and Jaziri had to retire. Normally that would spell danger for the Tunisians, but Jaziri’s teammate Aziz Dougaz came to the rescue to defeat the opposition’s top ranked singles player Roberto Cid Subvervi. Then, even without Jaziri for the rest of the tie, Dougaz won against Hardt in straight sets to help his nation to a win.

Nick Hardt (DOM) defeated Malek Jaziri (TUN) 4-6 6-1 6-5 RET
Aziz Dougaz (TUN) defeated Roberto Cid Subvervi (DOM) 6-2 6-4
A. Dougaz/A. Ouakaa (TUN) defeated R. Subvervi/N. Hardt (DOM) 6-4 7-6
Roberto Cid Subvervi (DOM) defeated Aziz Ouakaa (TUN) 6-4 6-2
Aziz Douaz (TUN) defeated Nick Hardt (DOM) 6-3 6-4

Denmark (4) defeated Thailand (1)

Even without top ranked singles player and teenage star Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, Denmark still took care of Thailand without too many problems. The home nation won 4-1, wrapping up the tie with the first four singles, including back-to-back wins for 905th ranked August Holmgren. The 1546th ranked Johannes Ingildsen was called in for the dead rubber game, but fell to Kasidit Samrej, which saw the 1136th ranked 20-year-old hand Thailand a rubber win. Unsurprisingly with the experienced 48-year-old Frederik Nielsen at the helm in doubles, and as playing captain, the home team took the victory comfortably.

Christian Sigsgaard (DEN) defeated Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) 6-3 6-2
August Holmgren (DEN) defeated Kasidit Samrej (THA) 3-6 7-5 6-2
B. Hannestad/F. Nielsen (DEN) defeated P. Kovapitukted/W. Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) 6-3 6-1
August Holmgren (DEN) defeated Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) 6-4 6-4
Kasidit Samrej (THA) defeated Johannes Ingildsen (DEN) 7-5 6-3

Slovenia (3) defeated Paraguay (1)

The home nation in Slovenia took care of a completely unranked Paraguay outfit as expected, getting the job done in the first three matches before the visitors won the dead rubber and the tie was stopped early. Coming up against a pair of unranked teenagers, Tom Kocevar-Desman and Bor Artnak took the win, with Artnak needing to fight back against a determined Martin Antonio Vergara Del Puerto to in three sets. Kocevar-Desman and Matic Spec teamed up in the doubles against the teens to close out the tie. Hernando Jose Escurra Isnardi won a tight one against fellow unranked player, Slovenian Sebastian Dominiko to get Paraguay on the board.

Tom Kocevar-Desman (SLO) defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (PAR) 6-2 6-2
Bor Artnak (SLO) defeated Martin Antonio Vergara Del Puerto (PAR) 1-6 6-3 6-2
T. Kocevar-Desman/M. Spec (SLO) defeated A. Vallejo/M. Del Puerto (PAR) 6-2 6-2
Hernando Jose Escurra Isnardi (PAR) defeated Sebastian Dominiko (SLO)

Barbados (3) defeated Indonesia (1)

The only ranked player in the tie, Darian King has led Barbados to victory over Indonesia in their Davis Cup clash. King defeated Gunawan Trismuwantara and Justin Barki without any troubles, then teamed up with Haydn Lewis in the doubles to grab the win over the pair in straight sets. Barki had kept Indonesia’s hopes alive on day one, with a 6-2 6-4 triumph over Barbados’ second singles player, unranked Kaipo Marshall, 6-2 6-4. The final tie between Marshall and Trismuwantara was called off due to the result being declared.

Darian King (BAR) defeated Gunawan Trismuwantara (ID) 6-1 6-1
Justin Barki (ID) defeated Kaipo Marshall (BAR) 6-2 6-4
D. King/H. Lewis (ID) defeated J. Barki/G. Trismuwantara (ID) 6-1 7-6
D. King (BAR) defeated J. Barki (IND) 6-2 6-4

Picture credit: Daniel Kopatsch via Davis Cup