Russia, Italy in ATP Cup semis, hosts Australia keep hopes alive

Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev won their respective singles matches on Wednesday to help Russia join Italy in the semi-finals of the team-based ATP Cup in Melbourne. ATP Finals winner Medvedev took down Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-4 after Rublev’s dominant 6-1 6-3 win again Yoshihito Nishioka, setting up Russia’s second victory in Group D after the side defeated Argentina on Tuesday.

Germany also boosted their semi-final chances by defeating Canada in Group A to set up a knockout tie against defending champions Serbia on Thursday.

World number six Stefanos Tsitsipas levelled the Group B tie for Greece against Australia with a 6-3 7-5 win over Alex de Minaur after John Millman gave the hosts the lead with a 6-2 6-3 win over Michail Pervolarakis.

John Peers and Luke Saville then clinched a 6-3 4-6 (10-5) doubles win over Tsitsipas and Pervolarakis to help Australia win the tie 2-1 and keep their semi-final hopes alive after Tuesday’s 3-0 drubbing by Spain.

With the second edition of the competition truncated because of Australian Open coronavirus quarantine, victory for Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini in the singles combined with Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria ensured Italy would top Group C.

Fognini downed Benoit Paire 6-1 7-6(2) in the opening match of the day on John Cain Arena before Matteo Berrettini outwitted Gael Monfils 6-4 6-2 to make France’s doubles win academic.

The Germany-Canada Group A tie, four of the fives sets in the two singles matches were decided by tiebreakers.

Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff dominated the first two and finished off Milos Raonic with a thumping ace for a 7-6(4) 7-6(2) win that gave Germany a 1-0 lead.

After losing 2-1 to Novak Djokovic’s Serbia on Tuesday, Canada needed to win the tie to stay alive in the competition and Denis Shapovalov made a positive start by taking the first set against Alexander Zverev but the world number seven German levelled by taking the second set.

In a tight deciding set, Zverev was unable to convert seven break points as Shapovalov dug deep.

Shapovalov had his chances in the decisive tiebreak but an unforced error and a double fault at crucial moments opened the door for Zverev and the German stormed through it with his 14th and 15th aces for a 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(4) win.