AUSTRALIA 1, GERMANY 1 Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard- outdoor) Australia, the 28-time champion, is level at 1-1 with three-time winner Germany after the opening singles rubbers on Friday. World No. 5 Alexander Zverev was pushed all the way by Sydney International finalist Alex de Minaur before prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in just under four hours. The German No. 1 trailed by two sets to one and found himself down 0-3 (40-A) when serving in the decider, but found a way back into the match and secured a vital first point for the visiting nation with a final-set tie-break win. "I hope that will be the deciding point to get the win,” said Zverev. “We need...
BELGIUM 3, ITALY 2 Spiroudome de Charleroi, Charleroi, BEL (hard - indoor) World No. 14 David Goffin wasted no time in sending Belgium to the Davis Cup semi-finals, ousting Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 52 minutes on Sunday. In front of the partisan Belgian crowd in Charleroi, Goffin sent the host nation back to the semis for the second time in three years, improving to 13-1 in his last 14 singles rubbers. The 2015 runners-up will welcome Australia in September. "When you see the score it was comfortable, but inside it was not," said Goffin. "You have to stay focused. Especially when you win the first two sets and you think it's the end, but...
AUSTRALIA 3, USA 2 Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard - outdoor) Nick Kyrgios guided Australia back into the Davis Cup semi-finals with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sam Querrey on Sunday. The World No. 16 fired down 21 aces to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead for Lleyton Hewitt’s side at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane. The United States swapped Jack Sock for Querrey, a move that could have been prompted by the towering 29 year old’s win over Kyrgios en route to taking the Abierto Mexicano Telcel title in February. However, Kyrgios dictated play, fighting back from a 1-4 deficit in the third set to clinch the tie on home soil. [ALSO LIKE] “It's a lot of...
FRANCE 3, GREAT BRITAIN 0 Kindarena, Rouen, France (Indoor Clay) Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut overcame Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot 7-6(7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday to secure France's place in the Davis Cup semi-finals. The French duo gave Les Bleus an unassailable 3-0 lead in their quarter-final tie with Great Britain, surging into the semis for the fifth time in eight years. They advanced when a Murray backhand volley clipped the tape off a Mahut lob, improving to 6-1 in their last seven home ties. Despite the absence of stalwarts Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet, France dropped just one set in reaching the last four, including straight-set victories for Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy on Friday....
AUSTRALIA 2, USA 1 Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, AUS (hard - outdoor) Steve Johnson and Jack Sock combined to keep the United States in the hunt for a Davis Cup semi-final spot with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 triumph over Australian duo Sam Groth and John Peers. The hosts led the contest 2-0 following Friday’s singles at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, but had their advantage halved by Johnson and Sock, who clinched a Bronze Medal together at the Rio 2016 Olympics. “Jordan (Thompson) played great yesterday, he deserved to win, he was the better player,” said Sock. “But today we were able to regroup and get a win.” Jim Courier’s American side must prevail in both singles...