By Richard Pagliaro Monday, November 17, 2025
Photo credit: Davis Cup Facebook
Austria made huge progress with a shot in this week’s Davis Cup quarter-finals.
The bad news for Austria is that they will face a huge challenge when they face two-time defending champion Italy at home in Bologna on Wednesday in the Davis Cup quarter-finals.
The good news for Austria is: World No. 2 Jannik Sinner and 8 Lorenzo Musetti All have withdrawn from the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
These two top-10 absences gave Austria hope of completing an impossible task.
Key Elements of Victory, Says Austria captain Jurgen Melzer, Austria, ranked 12th, must believe in their cause and remember they only have one draw ahead of Italy.
“The good thing about an underdog country is you just have to get better on that day,” captain Melzer told the media at today’s Davis Cup press conference. “You don’t always have to be better than the other team. Any country can have a bad day, no matter how many players there are
They are right in front of you.
“In the end, you have to be prepared and you have to believe. A lot of frustrating things have happened in the past, even for big countries. I mean, who would believe that the United States lost at home to the Czech Republic [in Delray Beach in September]”.
Even without the top ten talents Sinner and Musetti, Italy still has a strong lineup led by No. 22 Flavio Cobolino, 39 Lorenzo Sonegoformer Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and a great tag team. Simone Borelli and Andrea Vavasoli
Austria ranks 80th Filip MisolicNo. 160 Yuri Rodionov, Lucas Neumeier, Lucas Midler and Alexander Oehler.
Captain Meltzer said the game plan was simple: Win a singles match and try to turn the tables with a doubles win.
“Even if we are in Hungary, we are not the most popular. Coming to Italy, who knows?” Melzer said. “You win one of your first two singles and then you have a live doubles match and anything can happen. That’s what we have to look forward to.
“That’s what we have to believe in. As I said, our team has performed well in the past
Four ties. Why not a draw in Game 5? “
Davis Cup quarter-finals schedule
Quarterfinal 1 – France v Belgium
Tuesday 18 November – 16:00 (CET)
Quarterfinal 2 – Italy v Austria
Wednesday 19 November – 16:00 (CET)
Quarterfinal 3 – Spain v Czech Republic
Thursday, November 20 – 10:00 (CET)
Quarterfinal 4 – Argentina v Germany
Thursday 20 November – 17:00 (CET)
Semi-final 1 (QF1 vs QF2)
Friday 21 November – 16:00 (CET)
Semi-final 2 (QF3 vs QF4)
Saturday 22nd November – 12:00 (CET)
final
Sunday 23rd November – 15:00 (CET)
