Match Report
Kokkinakis heroics vs. Shelton assist Australia sink USA at Davis Cup
Ebden/Thompson rating deciding doubles win
November 21, 2024
Jorge Guerrero/AFP through Getty Photos
Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates after saving 4 match factors to defeat Ben Shelton on Thursday on the Davis Cup Ultimate 8.
By ATP Employees
Is 2024 the 12 months Australia lastly returns to the Davis Cup winner’s circle?
The 28-time champion took a dramatic step in direction of its first title within the groups’ occasion since 2003 on Thursday with an exciting 2-1 victory in opposition to the US in Malaga. Australia, runner-up in 2022 and 2023, can look to a exceptional opening singles win by Thanasi Kokkinakis as the important thing to its quarter-final triumph.
Kokkinakis saved 4 match factors and let slip six of his personal earlier than prevailing 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(14) in opposition to Ben Shelton within the opening match of the tie. It was an exciting reward for captain Lleyton Hewitt, who chosen the No. 77 within the PIF ATP Rankings for the No. 2 singles match regardless of him being the fourth-highest ranked participant on Australia’s roster.
“Making a variety isn’t straightforward,” mentioned Hewitt. “Thanasi performed two unimaginable matches in Valencia for us solely a few months in the past. We type of put him on ice till now and unleashed him at this time. He totally repaid us. That was incredible.”
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In a rematch of their Nitto ATP Finals group match from every week in the past, Taylor Fritz took on Alex de Minaur within the No. 1 singles match. Simply as he had in Turin, Fritz triumphed, incomes a 6-3, 6-4 win to power a deciding doubles rubber. That effort later proved in useless, nonetheless, as Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson overcame Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-4 to ship the Australian bench and its followers into raptures.
“Unbelievable. We bought the break there at 4-4 [in the second set] and I might have run excessive of the entire bench there,” mentioned Thompson. “I all the time put on my coronary heart on my sleeve and bleed inexperienced and gold.”
Ebden and Thompson’s win got here after United States’ captain Bob Bryan opted for a late change in his doubles lineup, with Paul and Shelton changing Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
“We had been anticipating the opposite pair, however we knew they’ve bought unimaginable gamers who can play doubles,” mentioned Ebden. “We had been prepared. A slight adjustment clearly. Extra big serving singles gamers than the doubles craft, possibly, nevertheless it was simply as huge a problem as any. Out right here, last reside match, simply to play with Jordan right here was actual enjoyable. Following what Kokk did, sadly Alex went down, however what a day. So enjoyable, so glad.”
Australia will now put together for a semi-final conflict on Saturday in opposition to defending champion Italy, led by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, or Argentina. If Hewitt and his crew go on to carry the title on Sunday in Malaga, they are going to snap their nation’s longest watch for a Davis Cup trophy (21 years) since its first triumph in 1907.
“We’ve bought a wealthy historical past on this competitors over nicely over 100 years, so these boys know all the nice gamers which were earlier than them and it’s an important honour each time you get the prospect to put on the inexperienced and gold out right here,” mentioned Hewitt. “We’ve had a really comparable group of six guys which have actually put their palms up the previous three or 4 years now, they usually’ve gelled collectively nicely.
“We’ve needed to make slight changes at sure instances due to accidents, and I’m simply tremendous pleased with the entire crew as a collective.”
