Del Potro Mounts Stunning Comeback To Level Final

CROATIA 2, ARGENTINA 2
Arena Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Davis Cup Final 

Juan Martin del Potro completed a riveting comeback from two sets down to send the Davis Cup Final to a deciding rubber on Sunday.

Del Potro and Argentina silenced a partisan Arena Zagreb crowd with a 6-7(4), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over World No. 6 Marin Cilic and host nation Croatia. The Argentine stalwart and Comeback Player of the Year in the 2016 ATP World Tour Awards Presented by Moët & Chandon, rallied from an 0-2 deficit for the first time in his career.

“It’s tough for me to speak, but I did my best and this is amazing,” said an emotional Del Potro, who overcame 34 aces to prevail after four hours and 53 minutes. He joins Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Milos Raonic, Nick Kyrgios and Cilic as the only players with at least six Top 10 wins this year.

Cilic struck first blood in Sunday’s fourth rubber, breaking to love in the second game and reeling off 12 of the first 14 points to surge ahead 3-0. Del Potro would later break back for 4-4, but his Croatian opponent was too strong in the eventual tie-break, taking it 7-4.

Cilic looked to be in cruise control after snatching the second set 6-2 and denying a pair of break chances early in the third with consecutive clutch aces. The shot of the match came in the opening game of the third set, when Del Potro struck an improbable baseline-to-baseline tweener lob. They would remain on serve until the 12th game, when Del Potro surged to a 0/40 lead. Cilic turned aside the first two set points, but a lunging backhand volley winner would give the Argentine the third.

Another clutch late break leveled the match at two sets apiece, as Del Potro grabbed the fourth 6-4 and he would overcome a quick break to open the decider, reeling off six of the last eight games to complete the improbable comeback. He sealed the win on his first match point when Cilic netted a backhand return, extending his FedEx ATP Head2Head lead to 9-2.

While it was the first two-set comeback in Del Potro’s career, it marked the third time Cilic had relinquished a two-set lead in 2016 alone. He had fallen to Jack Sock in Davis Cup play and to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Federico Delbonis will face Ivo Karlovic to decide the tie. It is the first live fifth rubber in the Davis Cup Final since 2012 and ’13, when Radek Stepanek won consecutive live fifth rubbers against Spain and Serbia, respectively.

Croatia is seeking their second Davis Cup title, having lifted the trophy in 2005, while four-time finalist Argentina is eyeing its first.