Tennis News

Alexander Bublik helped guide Kazakhstan into the quarter-finals at the Davis Cup Finals on Sunday in Madrid.

The World No. 36 downed Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 7-6(6) in 83 minutes to clinch a 2-0 victory for Kazakhstan against Canada. Bublik won 84 per cent (42/50) of his first-serve points and hit five aces in a dominant display.

Earlier, Mikhail Kukushkin laid the foundations for Kazakhstan’s victory, edging Brayden Schnur 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 in the first match of the tie. The World No. 183 recovered from squandering three match points at 6-5 in the second set as he raised his level in the decider to triumph.

Kazakhstan beat Sweden in its opening tie in Group B and has now reached the quarter-finals at the Davis Cup Finals six times.

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Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kazakhstan-canada-davis-cup-finals-2021-sunday

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic delivered under pressure on Sunday at the Davis Cup Finals to seal Croatia’s qualification from Group D in Turin.

The pair has won nine tour-level titles this season and showed their experience to move past Fabian Marozsan and Peter Nagy 7-6(6), 6-2 in one hour and 30 minutes to seal a 2-1 win for Croatia against Hungary.

In the first rubber on Sunday, Croatian Nino Serdarusic moved past Marozsan 6-4, 6-4 after 72 minutes. The World No. 242 was strong on serve, winning 95 per cent (36/38) of points behind his first delivery and struck seven aces.

Hungary then levelled the tie when Zsombor Piros upset World No. 30 Marin Cilic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 after two hours and 35 minutes. The 22-year-old broke five times and hit 26 winners to triumph.

Croatia wins the group, having also beaten Australia in Turin.

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Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/croatia-hungary-davis-cup-finals-2021-sunday

Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski overcame Tomas Machac and Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-2 Sunday at the Davis Cup Finals in Group C to book Great Britain’s spot in the quarter-finals.

The pair did not face a break point and fired 36 wins to complete Great Britain’s 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic after 74 minutes.

"Today was tough," Great Britain captain Leon Smith said. "You look at the rankings and people think it is straightforward but it is never like that in the Davis Cup. I'm thrilled for these guys [Salisbury and Skupski]. To come out and play as well as they did speaks volumes. We asked for passion, determination and the quality comes after that. I'm really proud of them."

In the first match of the tie in Innsbruck, Austria, Machac won 80 per cent (24/30) of his first-serve points to upset World No. 25 Daniel Evans 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 35 minutes to give the Czech Republic the lead.

However, Cameron Norrie then levelled the tie, downing Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 in one hour and 43 minutes. Norrie broke five times and hit 23 winners in his victory. Great Britain tops Group C, after also defeating France 2-1 on Saturday.

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Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/great-britain-czech-republic-davis-cup-finals-2021-sunday

On day three of the ATP Champions Tour’s Champions Tennis Spaniard David Ferrer and former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek recorded singles victories at the Royal Albert Hall.

Saturday’s afternoon session saw Ferrer down Marcos Baghdatis 4-1, 4-2, while Stepanek defeated Nicolas Almagro 4-2, 4-2. In the doubles match Tommy Haas and Greg Rusedski overcame Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny 4-3, 4-1.

In the evening session, Xavier Malisse moved past Nicolas Almagro 4-3, 4-1, while Youzhny edged Fernando Gonzalez 4-3, 4-3. In the doubles match Tomas Berdych and Mark Philippoussis defeated Almagro and Ferrer 4-3, 3-4, 4-0.

The day was full of lighthearted fun and birthday celebrations, in addition to intense competition. It kicked off with the crowd joining in on a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate Stepanek. Later in the day ball girls and ball boys joined in on the action and were invited on to the court to play against some of the legends - one of them even finishing a point for Gonzalez.

At the end of the third day, Team Greg was in the lead with eight points, followed by Team Mark and Team Goran with two points each.

Champions Tennis sees players who have held the World No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking, reached a Grand Slam singles final or been a singles player in a victorious Davis Cup team, compete in a mixture of team and individual events in both singles and doubles.

Across the four days some of the biggest legends of the game will take to the stage in front of a full house, including British star and US Open champion Emma Raducanu who will be facing Romanian and Hamburg European Open winner Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Other stars include British favourite Rusedski, fan favourite Mansour Bahrami, Chilean Gonzalez, Spaniard Ferrer, 2006 Australian Open runner up Baghdatis, and former doubles World No. 4 Stepanek.

Other players competing in the tournament include Malisse, Australian legend Philippoussis, 2010 Wimbledon finalist Berdych, former top-fiver Thomas Enqvist, former Russian number one Youzhny, German Haas, Swede and Canada Masters winner Mikael Pernfors, and Spaniard Almagro.

2021 also marks the last time the tournament is being held at the historic Royal Albert Hall, with this year's tournament offering tennis lovers a fantastic final opportunity to watch legends of the game battle it out in the beautiful surroundings of this legendary building.

Paul McCann, VP, Tennis Events at IMG said: “For 24 years we’ve given fans the amazing opportunity to watch their favourite tennis superstars play in the iconic Royal Albert Hall, and this year has been like no other. It’s fantastic to see the players compete on the court again, and for a final time, cheered on by the roar of the packed crowd.”

Sponsors of Champions Tennis at Royal Albert Hall include: Original Penguin, Rado, Lacoste Fragrances Dunlop, Superstars, OneStream Software, Brewin Dolphin, Stella Artois, Harrogate, Vodafone, Jaguar, Nyetimber, onefinestay, Adnams, Lavazza.

Tickets are still available from £20 and can be purchased via the ATP Champions Tour website here: www.atpchampionstour.com/london. For more information please visit Champions Tennis on Twitter @ChampionsTennis and on Instagram @champions_tennis. This year’s Champions Tennis tournament is being live streamed on ATPChampionsTour and on Facebook at The ATP Champions Tour.

Teams
Team 1: Rusedski (Captain), Baghdatis, Haas, Stepanek
Team 2: Philippoussis (Captain), Berdych, Gonzalez, Malisse
Team 3: Enqvist (Captain), Ferrer, Youzhny, Almagro
Exho Singles: Raducanu, Ruse
Exho Doubles: Bahrami, TBC

Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/champions-tennis-november-2021-sunday

Alex de Minaur edged Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(2) Saturday at the Davis Cup Finals to help Australia battle back and defeat Hungary to keep alive its qualification hopes in Group D in Turin.

Following John Millman’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Zsombor Piros in the first match of the tie, the pressure was on De Minaur. But he stepped up, breaking five times to secure victory after three hours and seven minutes.

“This is what the Davis Cup is all about,” De Minaur said. “You leave it all out there for your country. It was a brutal battle, it was a great match and I am happy to get a point for my country. Day one we had a tough day, we just had to come out today and keep going.”

In the decisive doubles rubber, Alex Bolt and John Peers then overcome Fabian Marozsan and Piros 6-3, 6-7(11), 6-3 in two hours and five minutes to seal a 2-1 comeback victory for Australia.

Bolt and Peers did not face a break point and raised their level in the third set to triumph.

Australia lost its opening Group D tie against Croatia, but can still qualify for the quarter-finals as one of the two best second-placed nations.

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Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/australia-hungary-davis-cup-finals-2021-saturday

Following Alexander Bublik's victory, Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov completed the comeback for Kazakhstan Saturday at the Davis Cup Finals, defeating Andre Goransson and Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 6-3 to seal a 2-1 win against Sweden.

The pair won 87 per cent (26/30) of first-serve points and did not face a break point to triumph after 69 minutes.

In the opening match of the day in Madrid, Elias Ymer overcame Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6(4) to put Sweden on the brink of qualification, after the former champion won their opening Group B tie against Canada Thursday.

Ymer hit nine aces and blasted 26 winners in his one-hour, 53-minute win. However, his brother, Mikael Ymer, was unable to win the tie, falling to Alexander Bublik 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 37 minutes.

Bublik broke four times and won the last eight games to bring Kazakhstan level.

In the second tie of the day in Madrid, Daniil Medvedev cruised past Emilio Gomez 6-0, 6-2 in 58 minutes to earn the Russian Tennis Federation victory against Ecuador.

The World No. 2 overpowered Gomez from the baseline and raised his level in the key moments as he saved all four break points to triumph in Group A.

Andrey Rublev had given the former champion a 1-0 lead when the 24-year-old defeated Roberto Quiroz 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. The World No. 5 fired 13 aces and struck 21 winners to secure victory after one hour and 32 minutes.

“I am really happy to bring a point to the team,” Rublev said. “It is not easy to adapt with the high altitude. It is my second time playing at the Davis Cup in Madrid and I am happy to help my team. It is going to be a long week with tough matches.”

Russia will aim to seal a 3-0 win in the doubles rubber in the final match of the day. Ecuador can no longer qualify for the quarter-finals, after also losing to Spain in its opening match.

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Read more: https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kazakhstan-sweden-davis-cup-finals-2021-saturday