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By Alberto Amalfi | Monday, March 9, 2015

 
Federico Delbonis

In his first Davis Cup singles match, Federico Delbonis defeated Thomaz Bellucci to lift Argentina to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Brazil in Buenos Aires.

Photo credit: @DavisCup

Federico Delbonis delivered a closing conquest in his Davis Cup debut.

The day after Leonardo Mayer prevailed over Joao Souza in the longest match in Davis Cup history to level Argentina's Davis Cup tie with Brazil, Delbonis delivered the clinching blow before a rocking home crowd in Buenos Aires.

Davis Cup: Mayer Wins Longest Match in History

Playing his first career Davis Cup singles match, the 83rd-ranked Delbonis defeated No. 87 Thomaz Bellucci, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to lift Argentina to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Brazil.


This rare fourth day of Davis Cup play began with a gift.

Fans were admitted free of charge to Tecnópolis for today's decisive fifth match. The Argentine fans cheered loud and proud throughout the proceedings.

In a battle of lefthanders, Delbonis used his favored forehand to take charge.

He won seven of eight points played on Bellucci's second serve, breaking twice to seize the 41-minute third set.

Serving at 5-6 in the fourth set, Bellucci was burned by Delbonis' forehand again.

Delbonis drilled a forehand winner down the line on match point to end the decisive match in two hours, 59 minutes, sending fans in Buenos Aires bouncing up and down in a collection explosion of emotion.




In this border battle, Brazil was bidding for its first Davis Cup victory over Argentina since 1975. The Brazilians were one match from taking the tie after Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares swept Saturday's doubles.

Then Mayer and Souza played a match for the ages, pushing each other all over the court in producing the longest Davis Cup match in history.

The Buenos Aires resident finally closed out a punishing 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 5-7, 5-7, 15-13, victory converting on his 11th match point and weeping tears of joy and exhaustion.



Mayer prevailed in a six-hour and 43-minute thriller, breaking the previous Davis Cup record of six hours and 22 minutes set by John McEnroe and Mats Wilander in 1982. That epic set the stage for Delbonis' heroics today.


 

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