THE FUSE

In front of a packed Irene Country Club, the home team clawed back from a doubles defeat to claim a nail-biting win.

Pretoria, South Africa (10 February 2026) – After speaking just a week ago about preparation, belief and backing themselves under pressure, South Africa’s Davis Cup team went out and proved exactly why that mindset matters. In front of a sold-out Irene Country Club, the hosts produced a dramatic comeback on Sunday, edging Montenegro 3–2 to secure their place in Davis Cup World Group II.

The tie swung back and forth over two tense days. After the opening day ended level, the pressure cranked up when Montenegro claimed the doubles rubber, pushing South Africa into a must-win situation. It was a moment that could easily have gone the other way. But came to the home side instead.

Philip Henning set the tone in the reverse singles to pull South Africa level once more. His straight-set win steadied the ship.

Then came Alec Beckley’s moment. Facing the prospect of defeat and trailing early in his match, Alec dug deep and turned the contest on its head. Fighting back from 5–2 down in the opening set, he produced a fearless display to clinch a 7–6 6–3 win.

Reflecting on his mindset during that decisive match, Alec admitted it was not an easy match.

“Yesterday was tough for me (losing to Jovanovic) and I knew once I started thinking about the score at 5-2 I would just spiral, so I was trying not to overthink it and just trying to find my rhythm, get loose and go after it more.”

Philip, who played a key role across the weekend, was quick to credit his teammate’s composure under pressure.

“I feel I played pretty well in my singles match and I was happy to get us back into contention, and I couldn’t be more proud of Alec, coming back the way he did. He played super well.”

This victory showed preparation paying off. Not forgetting the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd, and the power that brings when everything is on the line.

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