Olympic champions reunite to seal Australia’s Davis Cup win over Sweden

Olympic champions John Peers and Matt Ebden have reunited to seal an emphatic Davis Cup triumph in Sweden and celebrate their Australian team earning a rare tie back on home soil.

With Lleyton Hewitt’s outfit 2-0 overnight in the first-round qualifying tie after the first-day singles in Stockholm, the golden veterans teamed up on Saturday for the first time since their Paris triumph to win the tie-clinching doubles rubber.

Competing for only the second time together as a Davis Cup partnership despite their long experience, the Perth neighbours and great pals rebounded expertly from a set down to defeat home duo, Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson, 6-7 (7-9) 6-3 6-2.

The ultimate 3-1 victory - Peers later lost a consolation singles against Leo Borg 7-5 6-4 - ensured last year’s semi-finalists eased into September’s second qualifying round against either Belgium or Chile to be played at a venue back in Australia.

View image in fullscreen John Peers and Matthew Ebden sealed Australia’s 3-1 victory with a comeback win in the doubles. Photograph: Jonas Ekstromer/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP/Getty Images

The last tie in the men’s ‘World Cup of tennis’ to be staged there was three years ago when Hewitt’s men were inspired to defeat Hungary in Sydney. And the chance to play in front of home fans again in a battle to seal a place in November’s ‘Final 8’ week in Bologna, Italy, left the team thrilled.

“Belgium and Chile are both super tough teams, so we’re going to watch that tie, but the most important thing is we were all here fighting as a team to get a home tie in September,” said Ebden.

“It’ll be our first home tie in Australia in at least three years - so this one was for the team and to take a home tie back home.”

View image in fullscreen Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers were the gold medallists at the Paris Olympic Games. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

After Friday’s comfortable straight-sets wins for Alex de Minaur and Aleksandar Vukic, there never looked a realistic way back for the hosts, even in front of a vociferous full-house at the Royal Tennis Hall in Sweden’s capital.

The combination of the 37-year-old Ebden, a former world No 1 doubles player, and 36-year-old Peers, once world No 2, had to gel again to subdue the two 30-year-old Swedes.

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View image in fullscreen Leo Borg, son of the legendary Bjorn Borg, got Sweden a win in the singles against John Peers.

Photograph: Jonas Ekstromer/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP/Getty Images

Goransson, a surprise semi-finalist in the recent Australian Open doubles, and Bergevi earned the only break point of the first set - repelled by the Aussies - before taking a tight breaker on their third set point.

It just prompted the veteran Aussie partnership to click up a gear, immediately earning the first break of the match on Bergevi’s delivery at the start of the second stanza before really taking control to break both Swedes’ serve in the decider.

“Every match here has been a battle, but we just kept fighting,” said Peers, saluting the noisy group of Aussie fans - the Dundees - for their constant support throughout.

Not content with his first-ever Davis Cup win alongside Ebden - the pair lost their only previous rubber together seven years ago - Peers, a recent Australian Open mixed doubles winner, then even agreed, rather nobly, to turn out for his first ever Cup singles to provide some entertainment for the dispirited home support.

His sacrifice spared the specialists de Minaur, Vukic and Thanasi Kokkinakis any more wear and tear after their recent Australian Open slogs, and for a man who hadn’t played a tour-level singles for a decade, Peers acquitted himself well against Bjorn Borg’s boy before succumbing in just over an hour.

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