Washington, Nov 28: Novak Djokovic’s Serbia couldn’t avoid losing to Germany in the Davis Cup finals group phase. After Djokovic helped Serbia pull even at 1-1 by beating Jan-Lennard Struff, the world’s top-ranked male player joined Nikola Cacic in doubles.
But German pair Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz managed a tight 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 victory to take the decider and the tie victory 2-1.
Germany took the lead when Dominik Koepfer downed Filip Krajinovic 7-6, 6-4. Djokovic defeated Struff 6-2, 6-4.
Italy became the first team to book its spot in the final eight after it beat Colombia. Lorenzo Sonego beat Nicolas Mejia 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, and Jannik Sinner won 7-5, 6-0 against Daniel Elahi Galan.
Second-ranked Daniil Medvedev eased past Emilio Gómez 6-0, 6-2 to give Russia an insurmountable 2-0 lead. Fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev started with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win over Roberto Quiroz. Rublev and Aslan Karatsev prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in doubles over Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo.
Britain downed France 2-1 after winning both singles in Innsbruck. Daniel Evans bettered Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-4, while Cameron Norrie beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-2, 7-6. Rinderknech teamed with Nicolas Mahut beating Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 6-1, 6-4.
Sweden’s Elias Ymer hit nine aces to beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6 in the first singles against Kazakhstan.
But brother Mikael Ymer fell to Alexander Bublik before the Kazakhs clinched the comeback in the doubles. Bublik won 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov then brushed aside Andre Goransson and Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 6-3.
Australia topped Hungary 2-1. Hungary’s Zsombor Piros beat John Millman 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, but Alex de Minaur outlasted Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 2-6, 7-6. Australia’s Alex Bolt and John Peers then outlasted Piros and Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. (AP)
