Roberto Bautista and the Davis Cup, an inseparable duo

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🎾 Arthur Fils vs Ignacio Buse

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Roberto Bautista is synonymous with Copa Davis 2024. There is something in this competition that fuels and transforms the beast within the man from Castellón, capable of his best when he defends the colors of the Spanish team, with performances that send shivers down the spine and comebacks that perhaps defy the logic of regular ATP events. Today, to kick off the second series against France, the Castellón native once again showed determination and dedication, turning around a match that was almost lost against Arthur Fils, giving Spain the first point of the tie that could secure passage to the Finales de Málaga (2-6, 7-5, 6-3).

Perhaps the first game of the match was just a premonition that this was not an ordinary duel. More than 15 minutes in duration, including seven deuces, and Fils coming out strong: powerful forehands and solid backhands for an initial break that, however, lasted only one game. It seemed like Bautista was getting into the rhythm of the match, but there was a Frenchman eager to make amends after his poor performance in the first round.

Fils' shots dominated La Fonteta. Three breaks in the first set and a long list of forehands from all over the court, with a particular emphasis on attacking the Castellón native's second serves. The 6-2 scoreline was a clear indication of the level and quality of the Frenchman, who continued the script of the match at the start of the second set, showing a significant improvement compared to his previous matches. What seemed to be a decided duel (Arthur served for the match at 6-2 and 5-4), with Bautista neutralized and diminished from the baseline during the 1 hour and 50 minutes of play, was just the prologue of the performance that was about to unfold.

BAUTISTA IGNITES VALENCIA AND BECOMES THE PROTAGONIST

How difficult it is to close out a tennis match. How difficult it is to close out a Davis Cup match. How difficult it is to close out a Davis Cup match with the crowd against you. How difficult it is to close out a Davis Cup match with the crowd against you and with Roberto Bautista on the other side of the net. It wouldn't surprise me if every point lost, every blow on the scoreboard suffered by Arthur Fils left him with one of these taglines in his mind, each one more serious and harder to accept than the last. The Frenchman made a couple of double faults, the Spaniard went for a few returns... and the crucial break, just when Bautista seemed to be on the brink, unleashed pandemonium in La Fonteta.

Fils never recovered from what had just happened. Not in the second set, which he gave up as Rober rode a wave of immense confidence, nor in a third set where resetting was almost impossible. He tried, especially after saving a 0-40 deficit early in the third set that seemed to bring him back into the match, but he was up against a giant who, if he rarely made mistakes before, was making none now. Bautista, moreover, started moving up the court, finding Fils' backhand more easily and forcing him, time and again, to rally tirelessly... only that there was no longer any strength in the physical or mental realms of the Frenchman.

When the long-awaited break arrived, the audience knew the show was about to end. And thus, another memory is etched in the mind of a man who always flew under the radar, who never spoke out of turn, a hardworking racquet wielder who becomes an untameable beast every time he represents his country. Bautista and the Davis Cup form an inseparable duo, even in the twilight of the career of a man who needed to feel alive again after an injury as unusual as it was complex. Spain is just one match away from the second victory... and the Finales de Málaga seem closer than ever.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Roberto Bautista y la Copa Davis, un binomio inseparable