In Portugal, the German women’s opening match against the hosts is a test of patience
For the young selection of German tennis players, the mission to regain their place in the Billie Jean King Cup in rainy Portugal has begun with a test of patience.
After a late start and two long interruptions in Oeiras, the first group match of the DTB selection of the Europe/Africa I regional group against the hosts was abandoned.
Tennis: match abandoned after eight hours
After almost seven hours, the first match between Noma Noha Akugue and her Portuguese opponent Matilde Jorge was still not over. After a strong start and subsequent problems, the Hamburg player was 6:4, 2:5 down. It was initially unclear how the match would continue on Wednesday.
Originally, team boss Torben Beltz’s team was due to play the winner of the clash between Denmark and Sweden, with the loser of that match waiting on Thursday. Only the group winner will keep their chance of one of three places in the play-offs in the fall. Failure to do so could result in relegation to Regional Group II.