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World No. 21 Lorenzo Sonego admitted he didn't play his best against FIlip Horansky but gave the world No. 203 credit for the way he performed during their Davis Cup clash. Italy's Sonego was scheduled to meet Alex Molcan on the opening day of the Italy and Slovakia tie but the latter tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before the match.
Losing Molcan at first appeared to be a huge blow for Slovakia since he is their top-ranked player. Molcan was replaced by Horansky, who delivered a stunning performance as he stunned Sonego 7-6 (2) 6-3. Horansky has never been ranked inside the top-150 but Sonego insisted the Slovak is absolutely capable of performing at a high level.
"It wasn't the best match of my career, but my opponent was really good. I don't know Horansky's ranking but I can say that he is a good player and he played better than his ranking," Sonego said after the match, per Lorenzo Ercoli.
#Sonego: “Non è stato il match migliore della mia carriera, ma il mio avversario è stato davvero bravo. Non conosco il ranking di Horansky però posso dire che è un buon giocatore e ha giocato meglio della sua classifica".
pic.twitter.com/Qk0S4mJ1m8 — Lorenzo Ercoli (@Ladal17) March 4, 2022
Horansky clinches a career-best win after beating Sonego
“My feelings are amazing,” admitted Horansky after the win, per the Davis Cup website.
“To play in front of the home crowd, to win such a tough game, it’s the best feeling a player can have”. Horansky, a former world No. 161, admitted even he was surprised by the performance he delivered against Sonego.
“I’m surprised how I played,” Horansky said. “I was practicing all the week at a high level. I know the surface, we practice here all year so it’s an advantage to play at home, but I believed in myself and that was the most important thing”.
Horansky didn't forget to give the crowd for throwing their support behind him. “With this amazing crowd on your back, it doesn’t matter,” Horansky added. “You have to give the best in every shot. You have something behind you when you play for your country”.