01In brief
The 2010 Davis Cup World Group play-off between Israel and Austria was a best-of-five tennis tie held in September 2010 at Nokia Arena in Israel, with World Group survival at stake. Israel entered the final day leading 2–1 but ultimately fell 3–2, ending a three-year run among the world's top 16 Davis Cup nations. The decisive blow was delivered by Martin Fischer, a 24-year-old ranked No. 134 in the world, who came from a set down to beat Harel Levy — in what was Fischer's first-ever Davis Cup appearance.
02Background
The Davis Cup World Group was introduced in 1981 for the competition's top 16 teams. A tie consists of five matches played over three days: two opening singles, one doubles match, and two reverse singles.[1]
Israel returned to the World Group after a 14-year absence by defeating Chile 3–2 in September 2007. The team reached the Davis Cup semifinals in a peak 2009 season after victories over Sweden and Russia.[2] The September 2010 tie against Austria was a World Group survival play-off, and Israel needed to win to remain in the top tier for a fourth consecutive year.[2]
03Course of Events
The tie opened with singles on the first day. Dudi Sela gave Israel an early advantage, defeating Andreas Haider-Maurer 6–4, 6–1, 6–3, but Austria's Jürgen Melzer levelled the tie by beating Harel Levy 6–4, 6–3, 6–3.[3]
Israel seized the lead on the second day when Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram defeated Melzer and Alexander Peya in the doubles. The Israeli pair converted four of eight break points and struck 76 winners across a match that lasted 2 hours and 28 minutes.[3] The second set turned after Erlich and Ram fell behind 3–0 and then won five consecutive games to take it 6–4; they closed the third set by the same score.[3] After the victory, Ram acknowledged that he had been carrying a knee injury for the previous month and a half and had been uncertain whether he would be fit to compete.[3]
Entering the final day with a 2–1 lead, Israel needed just one more win from the two reverse singles to preserve its World Group place.[2] Instead, Melzer turned the tie around by beating Sela to level the overall score at 2–2.[2] The deciding fifth rubber fell to Levy against Martin Fischer, a 24-year-old making his Davis Cup debut, ranked world No. 134 — 89 places above Levy.[2] Levy won the opening set 6–2, but Fischer took control from there, winning the second set 6–3, the third 6–0, and the fourth 6–3 to clinch Austria's 3–2 victory on September 19, 2010.[2]
04Aftermath
The defeat relegated Israel from the World Group to the Europe/Africa Zone, where the team had not competed during the previous three years.[2] The result ended Israel's three-year World Group run, which had included the historic 2009 semifinal campaign.[2] Israel would begin its 2011 Davis Cup campaign at the lower level, facing the task of progressing through the zonal competition to return to the top tier.[2]
05Historiography
Contemporary coverage situated the defeat within a short rise and reversal: Israel had returned to the World Group in 2007 after 14 years away, reached the semifinals during a peak 2009 season, and returned to the Europe/Africa Zone in 2010. It also stressed that another promotion campaign would require Israel to advance through the zonal rounds before reaching a future World Group play-off.[2]
Sources
- 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, Tennis Organization, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 2Walla! Sport, Watch Harel Levy and the Davis Cup team's loss to Austria, accessed on September 26, 2026.
- 3The Jerusalem Post, Davis Cup: Israel has Austria on brink of defeat, accessed on September 26, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What was the 2010 Davis Cup World Group play-off between Israel and Austria?
The 2010 Davis Cup World Group play-off between Israel and Austria was a best-of-five tennis tie held in September 2010 at Nokia Arena in Israel, with World Group survival at stake. Israel entered the final day leading 2–1 but ultimately fell 3–2, ending a three-year run among the world's top 16 Davis Cup nations.
How did Israel qualify for the Davis Cup World Group before this tie?
Israel returned to the Davis Cup World Group after a 14-year absence by defeating Chile 3–2 in September 2007. The team went on to reach the Davis Cup semifinals in a peak 2009 season after victories over Sweden and Russia, making the September 2010 tie against Austria a bid to remain in the top tier for a fourth consecutive year.
How did the doubles match affect Israel's chances in the tie against Austria?
Israel seized the lead on the second day when Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram defeated Jürgen Melzer and Alexander Peya in the doubles, giving Israel a 2–1 advantage heading into the final day. The Israeli pair converted four of eight break points and struck 76 winners in a match that lasted 2 hours and 28 minutes. After the victory, Ram acknowledged he had been carrying a knee injury for the previous month and a half and had been uncertain whether he would be fit to compete.
Who delivered the decisive blow that eliminated Israel from the Davis Cup World Group in 2010?
The decisive fifth rubber was won by Martin Fischer, a 24-year-old ranked world No. 134, who was making his Davis Cup debut. Fischer came from a set down to beat Harel Levy, winning the second set 6–3, the third 6–0, and the fourth 6–3 to clinch Austria's 3–2 victory on September 19, 2010.
What were the consequences of Israel's defeat to Austria in the 2010 Davis Cup play-off?
The defeat relegated Israel from the World Group to the Europe/Africa Zone, where the team had not competed during the previous three years. Israel was required to begin its 2011 Davis Cup campaign at the lower level, facing the task of progressing through the zonal competition in order to return to the top tier.