Indonesia Turns to Rafalentino After Romania Takes Early Davis Cup Lead
- 18 Sep 2026 19:47 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- Romania took a 1-0 lead over Indonesia in the Davis Cup World Group II opening match on Friday, September 18, 2026.
- Indonesian singles player Rafalentino Ali Da Costa faces Radu Mihai Papoe to level the opening day's score.
- The two-day World Group II series will proceed to doubles and reverse singles matches on Saturday.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's hopes of staying level in its Davis Cup World Group II tie against Romania now rest on Rafalentino Ali Da Costa after the visitors won the opening match of the contest at Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Stadium in Central Jakarta on Friday, September 18, 2026.
Romania moved ahead 1-0 after top-ranked player Cezar Cretu defeated Indonesia's Gunawan Trismuwantara in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, in the first singles match of the tie.
Facing an opponent ranked No. 271 in the ATP rankings, Gunawan, who is currently ranked No. 2,202, struggled to match Cretu's consistency in the opening set, Antara reported. The Romanian controlled the rallies and secured the first set 6-2.
Gunawan delivered a more competitive performance in the second set, managing to stay closer to his opponent. However, Cretu maintained his composure in key moments and closed out the match 6-4 to give Romania an early advantage.
The result highlighted the ranking gap between the two teams, with Romania arriving in Jakarta as the higher-ranked nation. Romania currently sits 46th in the Davis Cup rankings, while Indonesia 65th place.
With Romania leading the tie, attention shifted to Indonesia's second singles player, Rafalentino, who was facing Romania's Radu Mihai Papoe when this report was filed.
Rafalentino, ranked No. 1,608 in the ATP standings, entered the match against Papoe, who is ranked No. 315 in the world, with the task of leveling the tie before the opening day concludes.
The Indonesia-Romania encounter is being played under the Davis Cup World Group II format, which consists of up to five matches over two days. Two singles matches are contested on the first day, followed by a doubles match and two reverse singles matches on the second day.
On Saturday, September 19, 2026, Rafalentino is scheduled to partner Ethan David Zapp in the doubles match against Romania's Stefan Horia Haita and Radu David Turcanu. If required, the tie will then continue with reverse singles matches featuring Rafalentino against Cretu and Gunawan against Papoe.
The Jakarta meeting marks the first-round tie of the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II, with both teams seeking to advance in the international team competition. ***
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