Multiple Grand Slam winner slams 'barbaric' rule during Alex de Minaur's shock Davis Cup defeat

Alex de Minaur lost to a player ranked 83 places below him in his Davis Cup opener.

Australia were heavy favorites to defeat Belgium and advance to the Davis Cup Finals, playing in front of their home crowd in Sydney.

Looking to get off to a positive start, De Minaur played Belgian youngster Raphael Collignon in the first singles match.

Picking up the biggest win of his professional career, Collignon stunned De Minaur in three sets 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, to give his nation a 1-0 lead.

He didn’t have things all his own way, however, and was struggling physically throughout the match.

Watching Collignon suffer from cramps during the tie, Australian tennis legend Todd Woodbridge gave his verdict on a ‘barbaric’ tennis rule.

Todd Woodbridge says cramping rules are ‘cruel’

Collignon was on the floor rolling around in pain as he struggled with severe cramping.

However, as cramps are considered to be a result of poor conditioning, officials didn’t call for the physios to treat the 23-year-old.

Speaking on commentary for the ‘Nine Network’, Woodbridge couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

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“This is ridiculous. This is so, so cruel,” he said.

“Get the physio out there now. This is more important [than the result]. This is a health issue now.

“I’ve just sent a couple of messages, just trying to clarify what the ruling is here because I thought the understanding was that we got rid of the barbaric look of what we’ve just seen.”

Collignon approached the umpire’s chair ready to retire from the match at the beginning of the third set, but suddenly had a change of heart.

Saving six break points, Collignon came through to pick up the win in three sets, against all odds.

The Belgian was understandably delighted during his post-match interview.

“It feels amazing. I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish. I tried to play with that strength, tried to go for it, focus on the serve, and I don’t know how I won. Yeah, crazy. I think when you play for your country, there is no pain,” said Collignon.

Collignon gave Belgium a 1-0 lead before his teammate doubled their advantage shortly after…

Australia need remarkable comeback to reach Davis Cup Finals

In the second match of the day, Zizou Bergs defeated Jordan Thompson in straight sets to put Belgium 2-0 up.

Australia will now need to win three matches in a row if they are to qualify for the Davis Cup Finals in November.

The matches Australia need to win

Returning to the court on Sunday, September 14, Rinky Hijikata, John Peers, De Minaur, and Thompson will have to be at their very best to avoid the upset.

Earlier this week, Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Nicole Pratt, claimed Australia were the favorites against Belgium.

“If Alex de Minaur is playing, I feel very confident there’s going to be two singles wins there. Alex, playing at Ken Rosewall Arena… It’s his,” she said.

“I think Australia are the favorites for sure, we do incredibly well in the doubles, picking up the extra rubber.”

Making the worst possible start, the ‘favorites’ are at risk of missing out on a place in the Davis Cup Finals.

Australia have been one of the most consistent teams in the competition over recent years, qualifying for the final in 2023 and the semifinals in 2024.

Whether they can keep their dreams of a title in 2025 alive remains to be seen, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when Australia and Belgium return to finish off their qualifying tie on Sunday, September 14.

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