ATPWorldTour.com previews this week's four Davis Cup quarter-finals, which feature three of the Top 4 players in the ATP Rankings. SPAIN v GERMANY Venue: Plaza de Toros de Valencia – Valencia, Spain Surface: Clay (outdoors) Five-time champion Spain welcomes back World No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the first time in the competition since September 2016 in its 17th meeting against Germany, the 1988-89, ’93 titlist. Germany leads Spain 10-6 overall, but the two nations are 4-4 in clay-court ties. Spain has won 26 straight home Davis Cup ties, with its last defeat at home coming against Brazil in 1999. Nadal, who has not played since falling to Marin Cilic in the Australian Open quarter-finals more than two months ago, has...
FRANCE 3, NETHERLANDS 1 Venue: Halle Olympique, Albertville, FRA (hard- indoor) Adrian Mannarino banished the disappointment of his loss on Friday to beat Robin Haase in a five-set marathon 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-5 and book France’s spot in the quarter-finals of Davis Cup World Group play, in which the defending champion will play Italy. "Having my teammates cheer for me meant I could fight point after point," Mannarino told DavisCup.com. "I had to give it my all. I'm so happy to have this moment." Mannarino arrived late to the tie — he was in Malta on Thursday — after both Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille were forced to the sidelines with injury. But Mannarino found his footing and earned his first Davis Cup triumph in dramatic...
SERBIA 0, USA 3 Venue: Sportski Centar Cair, Nis, SRB (clay - indoor) The United States moved into the quarter-finals for the third consecutive year after Ryan Harrison and Steve Johnson clinched the tie with a 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory against Nikola Milojevic and Miljan Zekic. "It feels great. I've got to thank my partner. He played great the whole time," Harrison said on court after the win. "I felt like early on I was struggling to get a little bit of rhythm but he was super-positive the whole time and picked me up a lot. I felt like after the first set we really got a rhythm going and go USA, and thanks to my partner for pulling...
AUSTRALIA 1, GERMANY 2 Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard- outdoor) After a change of nomination, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff teamed up with Tim Puetz to move their nation one win away from a place in the quarter-finals after beating Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-4. Struff, who lost in three sets to Nick Kyrgios on Friday, replaced Peter Gojowczyk in the third rubber and it proved to be a masterstroke from captain Michael Kohlmann as the visitors won in a dramatic five-set encounter. Puetz and Struff hit 55 winners and made just 12 unforced errors in the rubber, which lasted nearly three and a half hours, to give Alexander Zverev a chance to book...
FRANCE 1, NETHERLANDS 1 Venue: Halle Olympique, Albertville, FRA (hard - indoor) Frenchman Richard Gasquet, competing in his 23rd Davis Cup singles rubber, drew France level at 1-1 against the Netherlands with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-5 win against Robin Haase. Gasquet hit 37 winners, including 21 from his backhand, to avoid an 0-2 start for France, the defending Davis Cup champions. Earlier in the day, because of injuries to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (knee) and Lucas Pouille (neck), Davis Cup debutant Adrian Mannarino opened play for the 10-time champions. The 29-year-old, who was training in Malta on Thursday morning, was beaten by World No. 369 Thiemo de Bakker 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3. De Bakker admitted being surprised at France’s late player substitution, but...