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.

The Croatian star 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. Cilic rediscovered his form just in time to give his nation the advantage, however.

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro will face Croatia veteran Ivo Karlovic in the second contest of the day.

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

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.

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

Per the We Are Tennis Twitter feed, it was difficult to …

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