Serbia made a successful start to their Davis Cup Finals group stage campaign by defeating South Korea on Tuesday, setting the stage for 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to join the team for upcoming challenges.
Djokovic is set to arrive in Valencia to participate in Serbia’s final two Group C matches against Spain and the Czech Republic. Fresh off his victory at the U.S. Open, where he equaled Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles, Djokovic will bolster Serbia’s prospects in the tournament.
In Djokovic’s absence, his Serbian teammates ensured a smooth opener. Dusan Lajovic secured a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Hong Seong-chan, while Laslo Djere overcame Kwon Soon-woo with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, granting Serbia an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the tie.
Reflecting on his victory, Djere acknowledged the challenge posed by Kwon and said, “It’s tough to play against a player who you consider is not at his highest level, but this is the Davis Cup, and everybody can surprise you.”
In Manchester, 10-time Davis Cup champions France launched their campaign to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2018 with a resounding 3-0 victory over Switzerland.
Adrian Mannarino battled past Dominic Stricker, prevailing 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, while Ugo Humbert secured a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 win over the veteran Stan Wawrinka, who recently returned to Davis Cup duty after a seven-year absence.
Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin teamed up to complete the clean sweep, defeating Wawrinka and Marc-Andrea Huesler with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in the doubles rubber.
France will face Australia in their next match, while Switzerland aims to bounce back when they take on host nation Britain in Group B.
The Davis Cup Finals feature four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds in Malaga, scheduled for November. The competition promises thrilling encounters and intense battles as nations vie for the coveted Davis Cup title.
In other matches, Cristian Garin of Chile edged out Leo Borg of Sweden, and Nicolas Jarry secured the victory for Chile with a win over Elias Ymer. In Group D, the Netherlands overcame Finland 2-1 in a closely contested clash.
As the tournament unfolds, tennis enthusiasts around the world eagerly anticipate more exciting moments and captivating matchups in the Davis Cup Finals.
