In the opening matches of the Davis Cup Finals, Great Britain secured a hard-fought victory against last year’s runners-up, Australia, while Spain and Italy faced disappointing defeats on their home turf in this prestigious men’s team competition.
Debutant Jack Draper showcased his mettle for Britain, rallying from behind to clinch a thrilling 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-6(4) triumph over Thanasi Kokkinakis. Draper’s performance ignited the passionate home crowd at the Manchester Arena, leaving him elated with his debut on the UK soil. He expressed gratitude to team captain Leon Smith for the trust placed in him, highlighting the team’s determination to reach the Finals this year after a challenging run in the previous season.
Britain, aiming to progress to the quarter-finals from Group B after missing the cut for the first time since 2018 last year, secured their victory when a spirited Dan Evans defeated the 12th-ranked Alex de Minaur 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
Meanwhile, in Valencia, the Czech Republic established an unassailable 2-0 lead over hosts Spain. Spain, missing Carlos Alcaraz, who opted out of the squad to recover from his U.S. Open semi-final loss, faced setbacks as Tomas Machac convincingly defeated Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 6-4, and Jiri Lehecka secured a victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a score of 7-6(5), 7-5. This solid performance puts the Czech Republic in a strong position in Group C, alongside Serbia, who emerged victorious in their tie on Tuesday.
The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the knockout rounds, which will take place in Malaga in November.
Italy had a disappointing day in front of their home fans in Bologna, as defending champions Canada secured a comfortable Group A victory in a rematch of last year’s semi-final. World number 200 Alexis Galarneau defeated Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(8), 6-4, and the 158th-ranked Gabriel Diallo surprised Lorenzo Musetti with a score of 7-5, 6-4. Canada displayed their prowess even without star players Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Milos Raonic. Italy, missing Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini this week, still boasts three top-50 singles players in the squad.
In Split, the United States got off to a promising start against hosts Croatia. Mackenzie McDonald secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Dino Prizmic, but Borna Gojo leveled the Group D tie by defeating world number 11 Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6(6). However, the U.S. duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram managed to edge out Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-2 in the doubles rubber, ensuring a 2-1 victory for the United States.
