Ukrainian national team is in the playoffs of the World group!

Our sincere congratulations to the whole team and all the fans who supported the team during all these difficult three days! Bravo to Sergiy Stakhovsky, Ilya Marchenko, Denis Molchanov, Artem Smirnov and to our coach staff with Mihail Filima, Andriy Medvedev and Alex Belov. – Such remark appeared on the Stakhovsky Facebook page after he gave the team the important victory over Austrian opponent David Novak and an exit in the playoffs of the World group of the Davis Cup, where our country would participate for the fourth time in the sport history.
The intrigue has been twisted to the limit in Bucha, where our tennis players have competed with the Austrians. From the beginning, our national team was on the top, but before the final confrontation, Austria leveled the match. It should be noted that the weather impressed athletes – firstly it was incredibly hot, then it was pouring rain – and was the cause of the long break in the third set during the match between Stakhovsky and Denis Novak when the score became 1:1. Sergiy known by his patriotic position and sympathy to the FC Dynamo Kyiv showed bigger desire to win and completed the 59-th match for the national team with the score 6:3, 6:3, 6:7 (8), 7:5!
Now, our national team is waiting for a match with one of the first round losers of the World Group. Among the opponents, there are Japan, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, Germany, Australia, and Belgium, which has twice left us behind the World Group.
Sergiy Stakhovsky said the next: My opponent adjusted to me. At one point, Novak ceased be mistaken and began to play better and more aggressive. During the match, I tried somehow structurally adapt to his game. Denis played not bad. The nerves and pressure have influenced more, it was the fifth match and everything could happen. I did not want to defeat in the decisive match. How did the rain impact? We had the break for a half hour, it became colder and everything slowed down. However, I need to thank Marchenko. He always puts me in more comfortable conditions when has 4,5 hours matches in the heat. During the reception, Novak played much better than it did Meltzer. During this match, I could not enter the ball in the game and I had to take a risk. On Friday, such risk had less mistakes.
Do I prefer an opponent in the playoffs? To be honest, I do not care. When I played at first, our national team was in the second group and we had only one aim – to reach the World group. We have been tried to raise it for 10 years and I hope that the fourth time will be successful for us.
I want to thank a lot to all spectators. Because it was difficult to stay on the tribunes four hours of the Marchenko Friday game and then four and half-hours on Sunday, and my match. So, thank you. Some people have gone, and I understand that it was also difficult after 4-6 hours of the sitting on the tribunes. Tennis is a specific kind of sport. Thank you all. We will be happy to return in Bucha if the tribunes will be full of people.
I want to underline that it was a good match against the Australians, and I am very pleased to get a victory. It was the first time I was playing the final match. Good start!