Steve Darcis has played his last game on Belgian soil. He lost in two sets to the Frenchman Gilles Simon. After the match, the Lotto Arena witnessed a breath taking tribute to Mister Davis Cup.
Darcis didn’t have an easy first round against Simon, quarter finalist at the European Open last year. The number 47 of the world attacked immediately, Shark didn’t recover on time and saw set one slipping out of his hands: 6-1.
With his well-known fighting spirit and the warm support of the public, Darcis put everything he had into the second set. Simon, however, was not impressed by the circumstances and also pulled the second set towards him with 6-2.
Breath taking tribute
After the game, tournament director Dick Norman entered centre court if the Lotto Arena. A breath taking tribute with some highlights of Shark’s career and a standing ovation from his Belgian fans, charmed everyone.
Steve Darcis: “I want to thank the public for attending my match of today, but also my entourage who has stood by my side all those years. It is nice to see those beautiful images from my past career. To all fans: thank you so much for supporting me in my career, it kept me going. This week in Antwerp has left me with nothing but wonderful memories.”
Dick Norman: “What Steve has done for Belgian tennis is incredible. He deserves an honorable farewell here today.”