Team Moldova made a successful start to its Davis Cup Europe Group III campaign at the National Tennis Center in Chișinău, earning a crucial victory over one of the strongest teams in the group, North Macedonia.
Before the tie, many experts viewed this encounter as one of the key battles in the race for promotion to Europe Group II. History also favored the visitors, as Moldova trailed North Macedonia 3-5 in their previous head-to-head meetings.
That made the opening tie particularly important for both nations.
Snitari pushed Ivanovski all the way
Ilya Snitari
Kalin Ivanovski
The first singles match featured Ilya Snitari against North Macedonia’s top player, Kalin Ivanovski.
The match fully lived up to expectations. It was a hard-fought battle that lasted three sets. Snitari produced high-quality tennis, fought for every point and repeatedly forced his opponent to perform at his absolute limit.
Despite his determined effort and a number of spectacular rallies, Snitari was unable to turn the match in his favor. After three competitive sets, Ivanovski secured the win, 6-4, 3-6, 1-6.
North Macedonia took a 1-0 lead in the tie.
Albot turns the tie around
Radu Albot
Oleg Prihodko
In the second singles match, Moldova’s leader Radu Albot faced Oleg Prihodko, a Ukrainian-born player representing North Macedonia.
The encounter quickly turned into a true marathon. Under the hot Chișinău conditions, both players displayed a high level of tennis, while the opening set became a serious test of endurance.
The set was decided only in a tie-break, where Albot narrowly lost 6-7(8).
However, this was the moment when the vast experience of Moldova’s greatest tennis player began to make the difference.
Albot continued to impose a physically demanding game style, forcing his opponent to work harder and harder. Moldova claimed the second set 7-5.
As the match progressed, Prihodko began suffering from severe fatigue and muscle cramps. In the deciding set, the situation became critical. With Albot leading 2-0, Prihodko was forced to retire from the match.
Moldova leveled the tie at 1-1.
Doubles seals the victory
Following the scheduled break, the teams returned to the court for the decisive doubles match.
By then, it was clear that Prihodko’s physical condition remained a major concern. Nevertheless, North Macedonia chose to continue.
The visitors started strongly and aggressively, but as the match progressed, the advantage increasingly shifted toward the Moldovan team.
Late in the first set, with Moldova leading 5-2, Prihodko’s physical problems resurfaced. Unable to continue due to severe cramps, he was forced to retire once again, bringing the tie to an early conclusion.
As a result, Team Moldova secured the overall victory.
An important step toward the goal
Considering the strength of the opponent and the importance of the tie, today’s victory cannot be overstated.
North Macedonia has traditionally been one of the most competitive teams in the group, and this successful start significantly improves Moldova’s chances of achieving its main objective: finishing among the top three teams and earning promotion to Europe Group II for the 2027 season.
After the opening day, Andrei Chumac’s team has taken an important step toward that goal, but the battle is far from over.
Tomorrow, Moldova faces another major challenge against Georgia before concluding the group stage against Kosovo.
The home Davis Cup campaign has only just begun, and the biggest matches are still ahead.
🇲🇩 Go Moldova!
