Edas Butvikas put a lot of effort and emotions, demonstrating not only spectacular but also effective tennis in the first Davis Cup match in Niš, but ultimately lost 5:7, 6:1, 5:7 to Miomir Kecmanović.
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Serbia took the lead 1:0 in the best-of-three match, but the 22-year-old Lithuanian showed that he can fight evenly with an opponent ranked 133 positions higher in the ATP rankings.
“It was a good match, Miomir is a great player, very experienced, and such matches are hard to play in Serbia,” said E. Butvilas, ranked 194th in the ATP rankings and the second racket in the Lithuanian team after Vilius Gaubas.
He said that in the end, the opponent’s elite experience prevailed.
“I think his experience and the fact that he played at home, and the crowd gave him a lot of energy. And, of course, he is a very high-level player who has been through many high-level matches,” said E. Butvilas about M. Kecmanović.
M. Kecmanović is ranked 61st in the ATP rankings and was 27th a few years ago. He was the clear favorite in the first match, but the Serbian and his coach Viktor Troicki had to get nervous when the young Lithuanian dominated the second set (6:1) and led 4:2 in the third.
“It definitely wasn’t easy. He played very well, inspired, but I’m happy I held on and won a point for my team,” said M. Kecmanović.
He admitted that the young Lithuanian surprised him.
“Yes, I was surprised. We all knew he could play good tennis, but I was surprised that he maintained such good play for so long. He is a very talented player, but my experience helped me win,” said M. Kecmanović. “He served wonderfully today, but the experience of such matches, which is greater than his, obviously helped me.”
M. Kecmanović said he was not discouraged after the second set, in which E. Butvilas simply dominated on the Čair arena surface.
“I wasn’t very disappointed with the second set because he played amazing tennis, and I couldn’t do much. He played incredible tennis, but I managed to change the game a bit and win,” said M. Kecmanović, who saved himself in a dramatic match.
After the press conference, during which he heard compliments not only from M. Kecmanović but also from Serbian journalists, E. Butvilas paused for a few more questions and answers.
– Edas, how do you evaluate this match?
– I played very well, I was still leading in the third set, I just made a couple of mistakes in the third set that shouldn’t have happened, and his experience and home crowd support helped him a lot.
– What ultimately decided the end of the third set?
– The fact that the noise increased at the end, there was more tension. His experience helped him, I don’t have that much experience in Davis Cup yet. It was clear that I lacked experience.
– How much do the fans help, including your parents?
– We haven’t had a chance to talk after the match yet, but it’s very important for me and the whole team to have such people. Their support is very noticeable, very helpful. I hope more fans will come in the future.
– Did the idea to go to the bathroom after the first set to take a break and catch your breath help this time?
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– Yes, to catch my breath, think, change the game.
– You made quite a few spectacular shots, hitting the ball between your legs. Does that add confidence?
– It’s just my style of play. Sometimes I like such shots, I know how to do them. There are positions where it’s more comfortable to play that way.
– What is your serve speed record?
– About 230 (km/h).
– Today it was 219.
– Not bad. But accuracy is more important.
– Where would you rank this match on your career match shelf?
– High, it was definitely a good match. I think Top-5.
– How do emotions balance after such a match – good play, but lacking a winning finish.
– Good and bad. It’s nice that I could show such a level, that I gave my all and was close. But at the same time, it’s sad that I didn’t succeed, although the match was close (to victory). We don’t give up, we go to support Vilius and prepare for tomorrow.
– How do you react to the opponent’s compliments?
– It’s nice to hear that from such players. It means we are on the right path, results will come with time. We just need to keep working purposefully.
– Is your dad always so cheerfully emotional?
– Yes, definitely, especially in Davis Cup. He gathers a lot of people, and I’m very happy about that.
Next battles await
On Saturday afternoon, about a thousand spectators followed the matches at the Čair arena.
Although tickets cost 4 euros each, probably the decision of Serbia’s brightest tennis star Novak Djokovic to skip these matches reduced local interest in the first world group meeting, so the stands were filled about a third.
However, the voices of several dozen Lithuanians dressed in tricolor and dark green shirts, including E. Butvilas’s parents, were clearly heard in the arena. The player’s father, with a whistle in his mouth and horns on his cap, cheerfully conducted the support group.
“My mom, my dad, my cousin were here. Even if only a few people are around, it helps a lot. I felt like there were a lot of people. Thanks for coming, it started and helped me a lot,” E. Butvilas was grateful.
Fan support will still be needed. In the second Saturday match, the first racket of our team Vilius Gaubas (ATP-119) will face the second Serbian racket in these matches Hamad Medjedović (ATP-77).
Sunday’s matches will start with a doubles meeting. The Lithuanian team captain Laurynas Grigelis nominated Justas Trainauskas (ATP-1677) and Pijus Vaitiekūnas (ATP-1689) for him, and the Serbian captain Viktor Troicki – Stefan Latinović (doubles ATP-90) and M. Kecmanović. The doubles match starts at 2 p.m.
After the doubles, two more singles matches are scheduled: M. Kecmanović will play against V. Gaubas, and H. Medjedović against E. Butvilas.
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