The Baseline Player of the Week: Marton Fucsovics

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

While Hungary was up two sets to love in the third rubber of its World Group Playoff tie against Russia Saturday, serving down 1-2, world No. 61 Daniil Medvedev stepped forward and to his right to poach and put a forehand volley away past Hungarian net player Marton Fucsovics. But somehow, Fucsovics was able to reflex a volley behind his back to stay in the point, which he and partner Attila Balazs eventually won.

It was that type of weekend for Fucsovics, who played arguably the tennis of his life to win both of his singles matches and the doubles rubber with Balazs to clinch his nation’s spot in Davis Cup’s elite group for the first time since 1996.

“All we can do is congratulate Marton for playing unbelievably well throughout the weekend,” said Russian captain Igor Kunitsyn.

What else could the former world No. 35 say? Fucsovics had never beaten a player ranked higher than No. 50 in his career, but he thrilled the home crowd by beating two last weekend to seal one of the more unlikely Davis Cup victories of the year.

“It’s a very big thing for my career to win this match and put my team in the World Group,” said Fucsovics after defeating 32nd-ranked Karen Khachanov in straight sets to win Hungary’s third rubber. “It’s a very big achievement for my team and my country.”

Fucsovics is currently ranked No. 111 in the world, but you wouldn’t have known it based on his play. The Khachanov win was one thing, but the Hungarian completely dominated the two-time Davis Cup champions. In his first singles match of the tie, he was able to hold off a furious rally by US Open quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev to close out the future star in five sets.

“It was a very tough match and Andrey was fighting until the very last point,” said Fucsovics, who dropped to his knees on the red clay, arms stretched wide, after the final point. “In the fifth set the crowd helped me get through the hard moments.”

But perhaps it was Fucsovics who gave life to that crowd.

Just a few weeks ago, Fucsovics lost a final-set tiebreaker in the first round of the US Open against Nicolas Mahut on Court 8. To the general public, the loss was rather anonymous. Yet with arguably even more pressure on him with history on the line for Hungary, Fucsovics pulled through.

“This has been the best year in my career,” Fucsovics said. “Performances in the Davis Cup will boost my confidence to secure a place in the Top 100.”

If Fucsovics plays like he did last weekend, he can set his sights far higher than that.