SPAIN 1, GERMANY 1
Venue: Plaza de Toros de Valencia, Valencia, ESP (clay- outdoor)
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal returned to action for the first time since the Australian Open on Friday, beating Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in Valencia.
The Spaniard hit 28 forehand winners throughout the two-hour, 33-minute clash at the bullring venue to score his 23rd consecutive Davis Cup singles victory and level the tie at 1-1. “It's positive of course, winning in straight sets,” Nadal told DavisCup.com. “It was a solid match. I feel comfortable back on the clay.
”It's always special to play at home at a bullring stadium, it's very unique. It's a great feeling to be back, coming back from injuries is always difficult, but it's great to be in front of my crowd on a very memorable day. I'm very happy with the match.”
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Nadal was under pressure to deliver a crucial first point for the home side after Alexander Zverev secured the opening point of the quarter-final with a convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over David Ferrer.
Despite dropping serve on five occasions, the World No. 4 broke the Spanish veteran 10 times to earn three-time champion Germany an early lead in eastern Spain after one hour and 55 minutes. The Miami Open presented by Itaú finalist moves to 3-0 in 2018 Davis Cup play after wins over Australia’s Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios in the first round.
“I am just happy to get the result,” said Zverev. “I played more aggressively as the match went on. It is my first clay-court match in a very long time so it was great to find my rhythm so quickly.”
Germany is bidding to become the first team to beat Spain at home since Brazil in 1999, with Spain winning its past 26 ties on home soil.
USA 2, BELGIUM 0
Venue: Curb Event Center, Nashville, USA (hard - indoor)
John Isner won the biggest title of his career five days ago at the Miami Open presented by Itau. And the confidence from that triumph shows.
Despite being on the verge of going down two sets to one against Belgian Joris De Loore in Friday's first rubber of this quarter-final tie, the American found a way to win, saving two set points in a third-set tie-break before coming out victorious against the World No. 319 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 6-4 in three hours, 14 minutes.
“I thought my opponent played well and I had to play well to beat him," Isner told DavisCup.com. "It was a tough match for me personally but more important than that, I’m very happy our team is up one nothing, we got off to a great start.”
It is Isner's seventh consecutive tour-level victory after beginning 2018 2-6 at the tour-level. It is also the 32-year-old's second Davis Cup win of the year, after defeating Serbian Dusan Lajovic in a fifth-set tie-break in February.
Sam Querrey gave the United States a 2-0 lead heading into Saturday's doubles rubber when he defeated Ruben Bemelmans 6-1, 7-6(5), 7-5 in two hours, eight minutes. The American, who saved the lone break point he faced in the match, extends his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against the Belgian to 2-0 after also beating the left-hander at 2015 Nice in straight sets.
Belgium, which advanced to the Davis Cup final in two of the past three years led by 2017 Nitto Finals runner-up David Goffin, is in jeopardy of suffering a quarter-final exit. Americans Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock, who have both qualified for the season finale in doubles in the past, are slated to play Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen on Saturday.