Surprising Change in Dutch Davis Cup Tennis Team: 'That Makes a Difference'

Due to this decision, Pel and De Jong will not see any action against Colombia in World Group 1. On Friday, Van de Zandschulp and Griekspoor had already given the Netherlands a comfortable 2-0 lead in the best-of-five tie. Therefore, one more victory is enough to qualify for the 2027 Davis Cup Finals. De Jong and Pel were ready to secure the doubles win but had to cede their spot.

At De Maaspoort in Den Bosch, captain Haarhuis ultimately opted for the top singles players instead of the combination of doubles specialist Pel with De Jong. Haarhuis explained his reasoning. "They are fit to play and performing well. We tried out several combinations, and they were very convincing as a pair. They've also played a match together already, which helps. I think this is the best lineup now," he told Ziggo Sport before the doubles match.

Griekspoor and Van de Zandschulp are set to face Nicolas Barrientos (39) and Miguel Tobon (20). If they win, they will immediately seal the tie against Colombia in favor of the Netherlands, eliminating the need for any singles matches on Saturday. The first team to secure three victories advances to the qualifiers for the 2027 Davis Cup Finals.