SYDNEY (Reuters) – World quantity two Daniil Medvedev strolled previous Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-0 to maintain alive Russia’s hopes of defending their ATP Cup title, sending the semi-final tie in opposition to Canada on Saturday right into a deciding doubles rubber.
Denis Shapovalov put Canada inside one win of reaching the ATP Cup closing for the primary time with a battling 6-4 5-7 6-4 victory over Roman Safiullin within the first singles, placing Medvedev in a must-win scenario within the second rubber.
Medvedev delivered in model with a flawless efficiency in opposition to Eleventh-ranked Auger-Aliassime on the Ken Rosewall Arena, making it one-way visitors within the match after grabbing the primary break within the ninth recreation of the opening set.
Playing from nicely behind the baseline, the U.S. Open champion compelled Auger-Aliassime to go for his pictures, contributing to a spiral of unforced errors by the Canadian.
“It was actually robust for me … I really thought, ‘How can I really break his serve?’ He was serving simply aces, enjoying good, so I knew I simply needed to keep within the match, attempt to do what I can, what’s attainable in opposition to his massive recreation,” Medvedev mentioned.
“He undoubtedly began to play a little bit bit worse and I managed to make use of it, and that was the important thing immediately.”
The winner of the tie will meet Spain in Sunday’s closing.
A depleted Russia, who beat Italy in final 12 months’s closing, got here into the $10 million event with out fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev and world quantity 18 Aslan Karatsev after each examined constructive for COVID-19 within the lead-up to the crew occasion.
In his first profession assembly in opposition to the 167th-ranked Safiullin, the left-handed Shapovalov dominated proceedings to take the opening set, however the gritty Russian levelled issues after his opponent hit an overhead smash into the online.
Safiullin regarded set to drive forward for an upset win in opposition to the 14th-ranked Shapovalov when he had six breakpoints at 2-1 within the deciding set. But the 22-year-old saved all of them to carry serve after which used the shift in momentum to interrupt for 4-3.
Shapovalov, who had contracted COVID-19 within the lead-up of the ATP Cup, didn’t look again from there and accomplished the win in two hours and 39 minutes to present Canada a 1-0 lead.
“Definitely tremendous robust. Obviously Roman is enjoying with quite a lot of confidence,” Shapovalov mentioned.
“He’s proven this competitors that he undoubtedly ought to be ranked within the high 100. The approach he was enjoying immediately, it was top-10, top-20 tennis, it was unimaginable.”
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by William Mallard)
