From James Ward to Mario Ancic: Top five Davis Cup heroes

Sport360 staff 08:43 22/09/2016
Passion: Ward, Troicki, Verdasco, Antic and Stepanek.

Leonardo Mayer proved a hero for Argentina as he won the decisive fifth rubber against Dan Evans to give the visitors a 3-2 win over GB in Glasgow to reach the Davis Cup final last weekend.

Here are other supporting cast players who have shone in recent years…

James Ward

Wasn’t a decisive fifth rubber but Ward’s upset over US No. 1 John Isner, 15-13 in the fifth, in the first round last year is arguably the reason GB won the whole thing.

Radek Stepanek

In 2012, in the 100th Davis Cup final, a 33-year-old Stepanek won the fifth rubber against Fernando Verdasco to give the Czechs a 3-2 win over Spain.

Fernando Verdasco

Facing Argentina in Argentina is always a monster challenge but that didn’t stop Verdasco from beating Jose Acasuso to seal a 3-1 final win for Spain in 2008.

Viktor Troicki

After Novak Djokovic levelled the 2010 Davis Cup final at 2-2, Troicki was the one who sealed it for Serbia, beating Michael Llodra for a win over France.

Mario Ancic

Aged 21, Ancic helped Croatia win a first Davis Cup title in 2005 by beating Michal Mertinak in a decisive fifth rubber for a 3-2 win over Slovakia in Bratislava.

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