TNT Sports
Slovakia go to final
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Published 26/09/2005 at 01:18 GMT+1
Slovakia reached their first Davis Cup final on Sunday when Dominik Hrbaty finished off Argentina's challenge with a solid 7-6 6-2 6-3 win over Guillermo Coria. Hrbaty's win gave the hosts an fatal 3-1 lead in the best-of-five rubber contest before Karol
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The Argentine retired with a wrist injury in the third set.
"It was the best atmosphere I've ever played in," said a smiling Hrbaty. "All the people were cheering for me, and I didn't want to disappoint them.
"I played really well right up to the last point, and I'm really happy for my team mates and all the people ... I'll always remember the atmosphere."
Slovakia, who eliminated 2004 champions Spain in the first round, will host Croatia in December's final after the Croatians beat Russia in Split.
Hrbaty, ranked 19th in the world, dictated the pace of the match and kept piling pressure on the eighth-ranked Coria with powerful shots from the baseline.
The Argentine never found his rhythm and was treated for cramp after Hrbaty broke his serve in the fifth game of the second set.
Coria, who lost both of his singles matches in Bratislava, played his traditional defensive tennis while Hrbaty, motivated by the frenetic support of the home fans, attacked.
The Slovak converted on his first match point as Coria netted a simple forehand.
BIGGEST MOMENT
"It's the biggest moment in the history of Slovak men's tennis," Hrbaty said. "It was unbelievable, we have never experienced such atmosphere before."
A disappointed Coria conceded he had been outplayed by Hrbaty.
"I wanted to change the pace, but he played very well, almost all of his serves worked," he said. "He responded to every back-up tactic I had prepared."
Argentine captain Alberto Mancini said home advantage and a fast surface helped Slovakia to secure victory.
"This surface is the most unpleasant for us, but I still think we had a chance to win," said Mancini.
Mancini's Slovak counterpart Milos Mecir acknowledged the crowd's support.
"It's a fantastic feeling," he said. "We had not expected to get to the final."
Reaching the Davis Cup final ranks as one of Slovakia's proudest achievements in sport, with many feeling that it is second only to the country's gold medals at the ice hockey world championship.
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