David beats Andreev 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4!

Some players may struggle with the pressure and expectations, playing Davis Cup. But not David...
“I played great, and I feel great,” he said after the match, “it was an amazing crowd today and amazing feeling on court too.”
- And it was also an amazing feeling to watch him play with the passion and confidence he so often lacked this season.

Impressions...
It's not like there was a completely new David out there on court (or the one from Madrid & Paris). He still seemed a bit slow getting to the ball at times, which resulted in a series of unforced errors, especially with the backhand. But the good thing was how he managed to cut down those errors as the match went on (first set: 14, second set: 5, third set: 3). I also liked how he came to the net mostly at the right moments, i.e. behind the right shots. And the relative absence of silly drop-shots and drama moments. Instead, he had the confidence to really go for his groundstrokes, down the line as well as cross court with some beautiful angles. In short, he played intelligently. And what's more important - he really seemed to enjoy playing.

The crucial moment of the match probably happened in the tiebreak of the first set. Andreev quickly went up 4-1. At 4-2, David hit a forehand that clipped the net and was initially called out, which would've given Andreev another minibreak. But umpire Bernardes overruled the call and the point was replayed. This time, David hit a clear forehand winner and positively erupted in a loud "Vamos!!!" I think that was the turning point, not the overrule as such but the winner that followed, which made David believe that he could still win the tiebreak. Which is exactly what he did.
In the second set David was utterly dominant, despite a long and hard-fought service game (including two break points) to go up 4-3. - Another great thing about this match, he didn't get broken.
In the third, Andreev found his way back into the match. But David remained focused and solid. And when his chance came at 5-4, he took it.

Match Stats...
1st serves: 50%
Aces: 3
Double Faults: 0
1st serves won: 77%
2nd serves won: 73%
Break Point conversion: 3/10
Winners (incl. serve): 53
Unforced Errors: 22

A 36-second (!) post-match interview with David.

More pics...









Edit:
Juan Martin Del Potro has just defeated Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to give Argentina a 2-0 lead after the first day. Vamos!!!