The ATP Cup began in Melbourne on Monday, as tennis’ biggest stars go head-to-head in singles and doubles group matches in a bid to become champions. Here is a round up of the action from day three Down Under.
Australia and Greece share singles spoils but home nation wins tie in doubles duel
The main Australia/Greece Group B matchup came in the form of two of the bright young stars of the tennis world, as Stefanos Tsitsipas took on home favourite Alex De Minaur. Greece needed a win here to keep the tie in the balance following John Millman’s straight sets defeat over Michail Pervolarakis.
Tsitsipas/De Minaur proved to be an entertaining matchup, but it was the Greek that took the win 6-3 7-5.
That meant it was all on the doubles match between Pervolarakis/Tsitipas and John Peers and Luke Saville.
The Australian pair won it in three sets, handing the tie to the home nation.
Germany survive Canada scare
With Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff defeating Canada’s Milos Raonic 7-6 7-6 on Tuesday, Alex Zverev was tasked with beating Denis Shapovalov to seal the Group A tie for Germany.
Despite Zverev going a set down, he recovered well to take the final two sets 6-3 7-6.
The Germans couldn’t complete the clean sweep in the doubles clash however, with Peter Polansky and Steven Diez overcoming Struff and Kevin Krawietz in three sets.
Russia sweep aside Japan while Italy defeat France
Elsewhere, in Group D, Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev both won their singles matches in straight sets against Kei Nishikori and Yoshihito Nishioka respectively, the Japanese pair of Ben McLachlan and Nishioka defeating Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy in the consolation doubles clash.
Over in Group C, Italy’s Fabio Fognini beat France’s Benoit Paire 6-1 7-6 and his teammate followed that up with a straight sets victory over Gael Monfils 6-4 6-2.
The doubles game went the way of the French, with Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin winning 6-3 6-4 against the Italian cohort of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
The big battles don’t stop there however, as reigning ATP Cup champions Serbia take on Germany as Filip Krajinovic faces Struff in the two countries’ first matchup in Group A. Over in Group B, Pervolarakis faces Pablo Carreno Busta in the battle between Greece and Spain; just a couple of games on what looks to be a tasty next day in Melbourne.
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