Davis Cup Final 2016: Friday Score and Reaction for Croatia vs. Argentina

Marin Cilic battled his way to a five-set win over Federico Delbonis on Friday, handing Croatia a 1-0 lead over Argentina in the 2016 Davis Cup final. Juan Martin Del Potro tied things up for the visitors in the second rubber, however, beating Ivo Karlovic in four sets.

Cilic appeared to be in full control after taking a two-set lead, but Delbonis fought back and seemed to have the momentum entering the decider. The Croatian star rediscovered his form just in time to give his nation the advantage, however.

Veteran Karlovic couldn't give Croatia a perfect start, however, as he fell to Del Potro in four sets. The doubles will take place on Saturday.

Here is a reminder of the matches from Day 1 and a recap of the action so far in one of the most anticipated occasions on the tennis calendar.

Date	Croatia (1)	Argentina (1)	Result
Friday, November 25	Marin Cilic	Federico Delbonis	6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-2
Friday, November 25	Ivo Karlovic	Juan Martin del Potro	4-6, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 5-7
Saturday, November 26	Ivan Dodig & Franko Skugor	Leonardo Mayer & Guido Pella	TBC
Sunday, November 27	Marin Cilic	Juan Martin del Potro	TBC
Sunday, November 27	Ivo Karlovic	Federico Delbonis	TBC

Day 1 Recap

As the premier player in the Croatia team, there was an onus on Cilic to begin this final in style for the home nation. And he did exactly that with an emphatic performance in the opening set.

In the fourth game, Cilic got stuck into the Delbonis serve for the first time in the match, eventually breaking at the third opportunity. From there, the Croatian's powerful serve kept Delbonis out, as he coasted to a 6-3 advantage in the stanza.

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The second set was a much tighter affair as Delbonis, roared on by a massive visiting support, upped his game.

Per We Are Tennis, it was difficult to tell who was the home team given the levels of backing:

Indeed, the Argentinian looked poised to push the second into a tiebreak, but Cilic turned the screw at 5-5, breaking and then serving out under pressure to win it 7-5.

With a two-set advantage in Croatia's favour, it looked a long way back for Delbonis.

But as we can see here, Delbonis was backed by one particularly distinguished spectator, per the competition's Twitter account:

Perhaps inspired by the unwavering support, the underdog did his utmost to muster a comeback. In the second game of the set, he carved out three break points, his first of the match, and grasped the third one to go 2-0 up.

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Cilic was able to get a break back at the first opportunity, but Delbonis kept on digging in. And in the eighth game of the set, he broke Cilic again to go 5-3 ahead; this time, he consolidated with a routine hold to take the set.

Here's a look at how he did it:

The impetus in the match shifted massively after the fourth set, with Cilic suddenly looking totally out of sorts. His serve deserted him early on, as did his concentration, allowing Delbonis to blitz towards a double-break advantage.

The left-hander had a 4-0 lead in the fourth and eventually won the set at 6-1, with a shocking unforced error from Cilic somewhat fittingly allowing Delbonis to restore parity. Now, the man from Argentina looked the favourite to take the opening rubber.

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Cilic broke serve to start the final set, however, grabbing an early lead. He almost broke Delbonis again in the third game, and once again, momentum was with the host.

Delbonis battled hard, but on the Croat's serve, he had no answers. A hold to love moved Cilic within two games of the win, and another break had Croatia on the verge of the lead. Cilic finished the job on his serve. 

In the second rubber of the day, Del Potro got off to a flying start, breaking Karlovic's serve in the opening game. The Croat put real pressure on Del Potro in the second game, but as shared by Live Tennis, the latter stood firm:

"

#Delpo holds for 2-0 - a perfect start for #ARG to this second rubber!

Bet on the match & watch tennis at https://t.co/txueA5D56r pic.twitter.com/Udzq5gN2yU

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) November 25, 2016"

What followed was a serving masterclass, with both players making few inroads in the return game. While Karlovic had a few looks, he never really came close to breaking back and tying things up.

Per the Davis Cup's official Twitter account, the set had a fitting end:

The second set played out in a similar fashion, although Karlovic had to produce some of his best tennis to hold off another break of serve early. As the set wore on, a tiebreak seemed almost inevitable, and in the decider, Del Potro again took the upper hand.

Karlovic shifted gears at crucial times, saving several set points, and got his first advantage after some wonderful defence. A huge return set the 37-year-old up perfectly, tying things up heading into the third.

Here's a look at the clincher:

Karlovic used his momentum early in the third set, but up 4-3, Del Potro pushed ahead, converting his second break chance to grab another lead. He calmly served out the set in the following game, moving one step closer to tying things up.

The fourth set was a tight affair, but once again, Del Potro picked the right time to shift gears. Tied at 5-5, he grabbed another break and served out the match in the following game, handing Argentina its first point.