The first point of the duel that will dictate access to the qualifying play-off for the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, in a day that will begin at 2 p.m., on a fast covered surface.
Nuno Borges, national number one, this Friday has the responsibility of starting, against Jurij Rodionov, the tie between Portugal and Austria, in Group I of the Davis Tennis World Cup, which is held in the Austrian city of Schwechat.
The 26-year-old Maiato, 89th in the ATP hierarchy, will try to win, against the 109th tennis player in the world and second Austrian, the first point in the duel that will dictate access to the qualifying play-off for the 2024 Davis Cup Finals , in a round that begins at 2:00 p.m., on the covered hard floor of the Multiversum Schwechat, southeast of Vienna.
Next, João Sousa, the most international of the national players and currently ranked 289th, faces the highest-rated local tennis player, Sebastian Ofner (59th), in the Second individual match of the first day of the clash between Portugal and Austria, which will last until Saturday..
In what will be the fifth direct confrontation between both nations, Portugal seeks its first victory, after defeats at home in Porto in 1987 and in Guimarães in 2016and the two defeats away from home, in Mayrhofen, in 1986, and in Wels, in 1999.
The winning team of the duel will guarantee a place in the play-off for access to the Davis Cup Finalswhile the defeated team will also play in the play-offs in 2024 to remain in Group I and avoid relegation to the second world division.
The Portuguese team, captained by Rui Machado, is made up of Nuno Borges, João Sousa, Frederico Silva (230th), Gastão Elias (349th) and Francisco Cabral (54th in pairs), while Austria, without the renowned Dominic Thiem, who is ill, will line up with Sebastian Ofner Jurij Rodionov, Dennis Novak (192nd), Alexander Erler (36th in pairs) and Lucas Miedler (37th in pairs), led by captain Jurgen Melzer.
Source: Observadora
