"Mr. Davis Cup is Jürgen, maybe I can become the Prince!"

Austria is heading to Bologna for the "Final 8"!

Jurij Rodionov completes the sensation with his victory over Zizou Bergs, sending the ÖTV team to the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna. This will take place from November 24 to 29.

Davis Cup: Rodionov secures Austria's ticket for "Final 8"

"For myself, for my team, for my entire country"

The victorious adopted Viennese struggled to keep his emotions in check: "It's hard to put into words how I felt. I just desperately wanted to win. For myself, for my team, for my entire country. That was my top priority. I tried to pull myself together, stay focused, be mentally 'tough', and just keep fighting."

Davis Cup captain Jürgen Melzer is full of praise for his team and raves about how the day unfolded: "I think it started incredibly well. The doubles guys delivered a top performance. When it mattered, they always played their best tennis."

Debutant Neil Oberleitner, who, alongside Lucas Miedler, opened the day with a victory, receives special praise: "We shouldn't forget that we had a debutant on court in doubles today. He experienced the Davis Cup feeling for the first time. To go out like that, with Lukas by his side, who gave him the necessary composure – I take my hat off to him. It could have been completely different. With Neil, I was relaxed from the very first point."

The "Prince's" Special Performance

He already knew yesterday that Jurij Rodionov could beat the Top 40 player Bergs: "Last night during the match discussion, Jurij gave us such a good feeling. I had the feeling that although Bergs is good, he would beat him tomorrow. And in the end, that's how he stood on court. That also shows what kind of character he has, how much it means to him."

The 27-year-old has already been able to elevate his performance by several levels in the Davis Cup over the past months and years, most recently against Hungary and Japan. Has the ÖTV team found a new "Mr. Davis Cup"?

“I don't think I'm Mr. Davis Cup yet; that's still Jürgen. But if I keep going like this, maybe I can become the Prince,” Rodionov praises his captain.

"A Question of Character"

He fully enjoys these Davis Cup moments, which allows him to repeatedly tap into his potential.

The adopted Viennese explains his improved performance with his mental attitude: "I think that's also a question of character or personality. I seem to handle this pressure relatively well. I just like having the 'pressure' of playing for my own country."

The team cohesion and motivating togetherness contribute to bringing out the best performances on court: "I know that I'm always well prepared. That I have an entire team, an entire nation behind me. With this security, it's easier to play."

Belgium as a Fair Opponent

The point-guarantor also had words of praise for his opponent, who was driven to despair during the match:

“Zizou is a very fair sportsman, one of the most likeable players on the tour. I've known him since our youth, probably for 15 years already. He's really a good guy. I saw him in the locker room after the match. We high-fived and hugged. He told me it was a good fight and congratulated us. The entire Belgian team behaved very exemplary this whole week and was a good opponent.”

Once again, the ÖTV team caused an upset. With a team that currently has no Top 100 player and was considered the underdog on paper.

“It simply shows that the team works. It also shows that we, with the entire support staff, repeatedly manage to offer them opportunities or circumstances so that they can play their best tennis. And it also shows how good these guys can be,” Melzer raves about his team.

“We're good at always getting the absolute best out of them. In the end, it's enough every year for us to be among the best eight.”

Who is going to Bologna?

Whether the same team can fight for success again in Bologna is not yet set in stone, but it's likely. Davis Cup captain Melzer doesn't want to commit yet: "That's a question I can't answer right now. I would say that the team sitting here has a very good chance of being there. But what happens until then - I can't look into a crystal ball."

The home match in Vienna's Prater tempts them to go celebrate nearby. Whether all players will have fun is uncertain:

“Now we'll celebrate a bit more here and then maybe we'll check out the Prater. Neil is excited; he has to ride everything there is today!” Why was only Neil Oberleitner mentioned? “Because the others are less scared, they'll ride anyway,” Melzer adds.

The draw for the "Final 8" will take place on Tuesday, September 22. Then the ÖTV team will know which nation they will face between November 24 and 29, to possibly write another Davis Cup fairy tale.