Davis biggies advance
PARIS, France (AFP) — Australian Open doubles champion Thanasi Kokkinakis won a decisive singles rubber to power 28-time winner Australia through to the next stage of the Davis Cup Saturday where it was joined by fellow multiple champion Spain, France and the United States.
Lleyton Hewitt’s Australians went into day two tied 1-1 with Hungary and were fighting an uphill battle after Fabian Marozsan and Mate Valkusz upset John Peers and Luke Saville to clinch the doubles 6-4, 6-4.
That left world No. 30 Alex de Minaur needing to win against 35th-ranked Marton Fucsovics to keep the clash alive — and backed by a rowdy crowd at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena he battled through 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
Kokkinakis last played in the Davis Cup seven years ago, but was recalled after claiming a first ATP singles title in Adelaide this year, then winning the Australian Open doubles crown with Nick Kyrgios.
With the tie on the line, he repaid skipper Hewitt’s faith with a gutsy 6-4, 6-4 win over young Hungarian No. 2 Zsombor Piros.
Six-time champion Spain, playing without Rafael Nadal, advanced after world No. 15 Roberto Bautista Agut gave his team an unassailable 3-1 lead over Romania with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Marius Copil.
That left world No. 30 Alex de Minaur needing to win against 35th-ranked Marton Fucsovics to keep the clash alive.
After losing their two opening singles matches on Friday, Romania kept its hopes alive by winning the doubles rubber, Copil and Horia Tecau defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pedro Martinez 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in Marbella.
But world No. 261 Copil was unable to overcome the impressive Bautista Agut, who faced only two break points in the match.
“Bautista Agut did not lose a single easy ball, he played phenomenal,” said Spain skipper Sergi Bruguera.
France, 10-time Davis Cup champion, was also untroubled as Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo 6-3, 7-5 in Pau for a 3-0 win over Ecuador.
Record 32-time winner the United States of America enjoyed a 3-0 win over Colombia in Reno when Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram defeated Nicolas Barrientos and Juan-Sebastian Cabal 6-3, 6-4.
Argentina, champion in 2016, wrapped up a 3-0 win over three-time winner Czech Republic in Buenos Aires when Horacio Zeballos and Maximo Gonzalez defeated rookies Jiri Lehecka and Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-4.
The Netherlands exploited the weaknesses of a Canada side missing top-15 stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov to coast to victory, secured by Robin Haase who racked up the 32nd Davis Cup singles win of his career courtesy of a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Steven Diez.
Defending champions Russia may have been banned but there will be Russian playersinthenextstageafter Kazakhstan defeated
Norway 3-1 in Oslo.