Latvia pulls itself together in desperate win.

DAUGAVPILS - Andis Juska prevailed in a thrilling three sets over Hungary's Marton Fucsovics on Sunday afternoon to see Latvia advance to the final round of Davis Cup Africa/Europe Group II. Latvia's most experienced Davis Cup player was required to call on all of his experience on Easter Sunday, as his country sat on the brink of defeat with the tie leveled at two rubbers apiece.

The 26-year-old did just that, holding off the up-and-coming Fucsovics to win in three sets, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2), 6-4.

Despite being ranked over a 100 places above Fucsovics, at 408 in the world, Juska knew better than taking the 20-year-old lightly. Perhaps underestimating Fucsovics had been the problem on the first day of action on Friday when Ernests Gulbis met the right-hander. In what should have been a regulation victory for the world no. 80 instead turned into a battle of attrition with the Hungarian finally winning in five sets, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

The news got even worse for the Latvians later in the day when, for some unknown reason, they opted to use their third-seeded player, Deniss Pavlovs, in the second singles rubber. The move backfired with world no. 346 Adam Kellner accounting for the 623rd Pavlovs 6-3, 6-7 (2) 6-2, 6-2.

Instead of heading into the doubles on Saturday expecting to wrap up the tie, Latvia instead found itself fighting for their survival. With everything on the line, Gulbis finally fired, arguably for the first time in a pressure situation this season, as he and Juska outlasted Attila Balazs and Kornel Bardoczky in four sets, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Following on from Latvian team captain Girts Dzelde's interesting call to play Pavlovs on Friday, it was the turn of his opposite, Miklos Hornok, to make a questionable decision on Sunday, opting not to play Kellner in the return singles, but instead to go with Balazs. It was a move that suited 23-year-old Gulbis just fine as he made easy work of the Hungarian, seeing off the world no. 450 in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, leaving it up to Juska to provide victory for Latvia.

Following the weekend, Gulbis has seen his world ranking rise by two places and he has now indicated his intentions to compete in a second-tier ATP Challenger Tour event, beginning on Monday, in Rome. To date the Latvian has only won two of eight ATP matches and is in some serious need of confidence.

The maroon-and-whites will now need to be on their best form come Sept. 14 when they face off against Ukraine with the chance to return to Europe/Africa Group I on the line. The Ukrainians have been in insatiable form in the Davis Cup this season, and led by world no. 71 Sergiy Stakhovsky, are yet to drop a rubber in two ties this season, easily seeing off Monaco in round one and Cyprus in the second round.

Alongside Stakhovsky, the Ukrainian team also boast the son of the legendary Soviet Union pole vaulter, Serhiy Bubka. Stakhovsky, at 168 in the world, is considered as a player deserved of a place inside the world's top 100.

Whilst Latvian tennis is on a high, the same cannot be said for their northern neighbors Estonia. Also participating in Europe/Africa Group II action over the weekend, the Peeter Lamp-captained side was easily accounted for by a far superior Polish team, four rubbers to one, with Estonia's solitary win coming in the second-to-last rubber with the result already decided.

The solitary win for Estonia went to their current number one player Jurgen Zopp, with the world no. 125 seeing off doubles specialist Mariusz Fyrstenberg, 6-0, 7-6 (3).