Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu
On Saturday 7 February 2026, the SEAT Lëtzebuerg Davis Cup Team secured victories in the opening two matches of the World Group I Play-Off tie against Ukraine, in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 spectators at the Coque arena in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
The tie began with Luxembourg’s top seed Chris Rodesch (ATP ranked #130) facing Ukraine’s second seed Oleksii Krutykh (ATP ranked #569). The Luxembourg player maintained a solid service game in the opening set, holding serve throughout and converting a single break point to take the set 6-3. In the second set, the Ukrainian player claimed the opening game, but the home favourite went on to dominate the remainder of the match, winning six consecutive games to seal a 6-3, 6-1 victory and give Luxembourg a 1-0 lead in the tie.
Statistically, Chris Rodesch’s performance was marked by strong serving efficiency and control on key points. He recorded eleven aces, won 77% of points on his first serve and 73% on his second serve, while also converting four of twelve break points. Oleksii Krutykh, by contrast, struggled to capitalise on return opportunities and failed to convert either of his two break-point chances.
Commenting on the opening singles, Luxembourg captain Gilles Muller highlighted the mental challenge facing Chris Rodesch, given expectations surrounding the match: “He is in a very good phase right now and playing with a lot of confidence. Everyone expected him to win easily, but that’s never simple. It was a potential trap match, but he handled the situation very well and did a great job on court.”
The second match of the day saw Luxembourg’s second seed Alex Knaff (ATP ranked #687) take on Ukraine’s top seed Vladyslav Orlov (ATP ranked #504) in a closely contested encounter. The opening set proved evenly matched, with both players holding serve throughout and forcing a tie-break. The Ukrainian player opened the tie-break with a double fault, allowing the home player to take early control. Although Vladyslav Orlov briefly responded, Alex Knaff went on to dominate the remainder of the breaker, winning it 7-2 to claim the set 7-6.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Alex Knaff broke early to move ahead 2-0, before Vladyslav Orlov responded immediately to level the score at 2-2. However, the Luxembourg player regained momentum, securing another crucial break at 3-2. From that point on, he maintained control to close out the match in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, giving the SEAT Lëtzebuerg Davis Cup Team a 2-0 lead ahead of the second day of competition.
From a statistical perspective, Alex Knaff showed greater consistency on serve and in key moments. He committed no double faults, won 84% of points on his first serve and 80% on his second serve, and claimed 75 points overall compared to Vladyslav Orlov’s 52. While the Ukrainian player converted his sole break-point opportunity, the Luxembourg player’s efficiency across longer rallies and tie-break situations proved decisive.
After securing Luxembourg’s second point of the day, Alex Knaff underlined the importance of staying mentally strong on a fast surface: “I’m really happy to give a point to my country and to the team. I don’t think I played my best match, but mentally I stayed in the game. On a fast surface, it’s important to apply pressure, even when you’re not feeling great early on, and in the second half it was much better.”
From the Ukrainian side, Vladyslav Orlov reflected on key moments that swung the match: “Starting the tie-break with a double fault is the worst start you can get. It was quite close and competitive, but it’s very tough to break here. I only managed one break in the whole match – it’s not easy to break these guys.”
On Sunday 8 February 2026, the tie will continue with the doubles match, scheduled to begin at 11:00, with Chris Rodesch and Alex Knaff set to face Viacheslav Bielinskyi and Oleksandr Ovcharenko. Should the tie require further matches, the reverse singles will follow, with the two top-ranked players meeting each other, as well as the respective second singles players.
