2016-07-03 14:09:00 CET
World champs need to focus in heady Poreč atmosphere
Bring it on Austria! That was the message from brilliant Brazilians Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt after their comeback win over Samoilovs and Smedins secured their place in the final of the Poreč Major.
In doing so, Alison/Bruno avenged their defeat against the Latvians in the gold medal match at the Olsztyn Grand Slam and now they face Clemens Doppler and Alex Horst in the final at 16:00 CET on Center Court.
But Austria fans – don’t get too carried away: the Brazilians have a warning.
“We love playing against the fans’ favorites,” said Bruno. “It makes us play better. Of course there will be a lot of support for Austria but it makes finals like this extra special. It’s going to be lovely.
“The conditions have been good for us so far in the tournament and now we go into the final with an opportunity to win gold.”
With such a partisan crowd expected, the world champions do not want to give Doppler/Horst and their fans something to shout about early in the final.
“We need to start the match focused,” explained Bruno. “The crowd will be excited, they have nothing to lose – and that makes it more difficult for us.
“We have to concentrate, especially when they have their special moments, and handle this mentally.”
The final kicks off at 16:00 CET on Center Court – and you can watch it on live TV if you live in Austria – the game will be broadcast by ORF Sport+. But if you’re not, don’t worry, there’s still our live stream to tune in to!
May the best team win!
Read the third installment of Ben Saxton's Swatch Major Series blog
Stunning comeback gives Brazilian qualifiers gold