Reigning champs Croatia lose to Russia in Davis Cup
MADRID: Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev helped Russia open the inaugural Davis Cup Finals with a 3-0 victory over defending champions Croatia in Madrid on Monday.
World number 17 Khachanov clinched the point for Russia by fighting back to beat Croatian number one Borna Coric 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, after Rublev had earlier seen off Borna Gojo 6-3, 6-3.
“When you are playing not only for yourself, but for your country, you have to fight harder,” said Khachanov.
Russia, who are without US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev due to exhaustion, can wrap up a place in the quarter-finals with victory over Rafael Nadal’s Spain in their second Group B tie on Tuesday.
NEW FORMAT
The 18 nations have been split into six groups of three at the Caja Magica, with the pool winners and two best runners-up to play in the last eight of the first edition of the revamped tournament.
The teams face off in two bestof-three-set singles matches and one doubles rubber in each tie.
Khachanov and Rublev completed the clean sweep later on Monday with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 doubles win over Ivan Dodig and
Nikola Mektic.
CANADA DOWN ITALY
Canada claimed a 2-1 victory over well fancied Italy to strike first in Group F.
World number 12 Fabio Fognini slumped to a 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 defeat by Vasek Pospisil, ranked 150th, before rising star Denis Shapovalov edged out Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5). The 20-year-old Shapovalov saved three set points before snatching the first set in a tiebreak, only for Berrettini to level the match in a second set breaker. A clash without a single break of serve, was decided by another tie-break, with Shapovalov reeling off the last three points to win after two hours and 52 minutes on court.
Berrettini and Fognini boosted Italy’s hopes of making the quarters with a hard-fought doubles success over Shapovalov and Pospisil, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
BELGIUM VICTORIOUS
Belgium made a victorious start in Group D with back-to-back singles wins against Colombia.
The South Americans are playing at the top level of Davis Cup tennis for the first time, having never played in the old World Group.
PAK APPEAL REJECTED
NEW DELHI: Dismissing Pakistan’s review appeal, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Tuesday announced Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-sultan as the neutral venue for the upcoming Davis Cup tie between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) had filed an appeal contesting the ITF Davis Cup Committee’s November 4 decision to shift the November 29-30 tie to a neutral venue.
NO GUARANTEE MURRAY WILL PLAY
LONDON: Andy Murray is a welcome addition to Britain’s Davis Cup team but there is no guarantee the former world number one will play in the singles, team captain Leon Smith has said.
Murray, who underwent hip surgery in January, won the European Open in Antwerp last month but the three-time Grand Slam champion is the lowestranked singles player in the British team at 126 behind Dan Evans (42) and Kyle Edmund (69).