Austria took charge of its Davis Cup tie with Russia on Friday after Andreas Haider-Maurer gave the hosts a 2-0 lead with a win over Alex Bogomolov Jr.
The 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 defeat marked a disappointing debut for Bogomolov, the world no. 34, who was playing in his first Davis Cup match after switching allegiances from the United States.
Haider-Maurer, ranked no. 127 in the world, took control early in the match with strong serving and powerful forehands, racking up 17 aces in the match.
“It was always my hope to play [for Russia],” Moscow-born Bogomolov told the official Davis Cup website after Thursday's draw. “But when you’re ranked outside 100 for as long as I was, it’s what it is, it’s a hope.”
Earlier on Friday, Austria’s Jurgen Melzer defeated Russian player Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the first rubber to give Austria hope of its first Davis Cup World Group first-round win in a decade.
Saturday will see a doubles match between Austria’s Oliver Marach and doubles specialist Alexander Peya and the Russian pair of Youzhny and veteran Nikolai Davydenko, the world no. 51.
Russia, a two-time champion, has never played Austria in the Davis Cup before, although the Soviet Union won two meetings in the 1980s.
