MELBOURNE, Feb 6: Grand Slam tournament winners Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams withdrew from their tuneup tournaments, their focus already on the Australian Open, well before Alexander Zverev tweaked his back in the second set of his must-win ATP Cup match against Daniil Medvedev.
He left the court for treatment Saturday and returned, taking the match to three sets before Medvedev finally converted to secure Russia’s win over Germany and a spot in the final.
No. 4-ranked Medvedev lifted when Zverev started to struggle but he got tight in the end, twice double-faulting on match point before serving out for 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Andrey Rublev had earlier beaten Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“Crazy match,” Medvedev said.
“Happy to win even if many things I didn’t like.
“Most important thing is to win for the country and be in the final.”
Russia will meet Italy in the final after Fabio Fognini beat Pablo Carreno 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 and Matteo Berrettini swept Roberto Bautista 6-3, 7-5 to account for 2020 runner-up Spain. Rafael Nadal didn’t play for Spain during the week because of lower back soreness.(AP)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel