The Lithuanian team arrived in Serbia on Monday. Most of the team flew from Vilnius to Belgrade, and from there it was about a two-hour car trip to Niš.
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The first to settle in Niš on Monday afternoon were Vilius Gaubas, Edas Butvilas, Pijus Vaitiekūnas, team analyst Tadas Babelis, and physiotherapist Kęstutis Laurinskas.
Around midnight, captain Laurynas Grigelis, who arrived from Italy, joined them, and much later at night – team debutant Justas Trainauskas, who traveled from Brussels.
From Tuesday, the Lithuanians are already following the usual Davis Cup routine – five hours of daily training in the arena and gym, short walks in the city, and rest at the hotel.
“Preparation is going well. We have a great arena, excellent conditions, and the surface suits and pleases our players. I am satisfied with how everything is going so far. We just need to focus on serious work and give our all in the matches against the Serbs this weekend,” said Lithuanian team captain Laurynas Grigelis.
Serbian captain: we are the favorites, but the Lithuanians are very dangerous
Serbian team captain Viktor Troicki chose Miomir Kecmanović, Hamad Medjedović, Ognjen Milić, Branko Đurić, and Stefan Latinović for the encounter with the Lithuanians.
The hosts will be without the legendary Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian team includes two ATP top 100 players – M. Kecmanović and H. Medjedović.
“I have watched both Gaubas and Butvilas play. They are young but already solid players, rising in the ATP rankings. Gaubas feels better on clay, while Butvilas is a very good hard court player, having recently won an ATP Challenger tournament.
They are two very good young tennis players, so an interesting match awaits. Of course, I hope for our victory,” said Serbian team captain V. Troicki.
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The Serbian team coach admits he considers his team the favorites of the meeting. According to him, the Serbs’ advantage is greater player experience and home court.
“Our team is also young, but we have more experience than our opponents. Especially our leaders – Kecmanović and Medjedović. Also, I hope the stands will be a big advantage for us. We have played in Niš several times, and the atmosphere here has always been incredible,” said V. Troicki.
Lithuanian team debutant – “Hello Kitty” baptism
Justas Trainauskas, called to the Lithuanian team for the first time, has already experienced the rituals applied to team newcomers firsthand.
His teammates gave him a “Hello Kitty” cap and a water bottle for his debut.
The agreement is simple: J. Trainauskas cannot part with these gifts throughout the entire Davis Cup week.
In the stands – Lithuanian supporters too
The Lithuanian team will not be alone in Niš. Several dozen fans plan to come to Serbia to watch the Davis Cup match and support the Lithuanian tennis players.
The Davis Cup matches between the Serbian and Lithuanian teams will meet for the first time.
On Saturday, September 19, two singles matches will be played. Sunday, September 20, will start with a doubles match, followed by one or two more singles matches. The team needs to win three matches to secure victory.
The draw for the Serbia–Lithuania Davis Cup meeting will be held on Friday, September 18. After that, the singles match pairs for the first day of the competition will be revealed.
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