Australia reaches knockout stage of 2024 Davis Cup

Davis Cup (Draceane, Wikimedia Commons)

Australia has qualified for the knockout stage of the 2024 Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain. On Friday, Spain beat France 2-1. The Spain win knocked France out of contention, and moved Australia into the final eight. Australia guaranteed a second place finish in Group B.

Spain won both singles matches against France on Friday. Roberto Bautista Agut, the 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist, beat Arthur Fils, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Then Carlos Alcaraz, the four-time grand slam singles champion, beat Ugo Humbert, 6-3, 6-3.  This was the first time Bautista Agut beat Fils. Last year in the second round of Montpellier, Fils won 6-3, 6-4. Alcaraz beat Humbert earlier this year. At Wimbledon in the fourth round, Alcaraz came through with a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 win en route to winning the title.

Australia had won both of their ties in Valencia, Spain this week so far. They beat France two matches to one on Tuesday, and then beat the Czech Republic three matches to none on Thursday. A major reason for the Australian success in Europe this week was because of the singles play of Thanasi Kokkinakis of Adelaide. First he beat Fils 7-6, 7-6, and then beat Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. Australia also had a key doubles win against France as Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Two more nations have confirmed spots in the knockout round. They are the United States and Germany. The Americans and Germans advanced from Group C in Zhuhai, China after the Americans blanked Slovakia 3-0 on Friday. Mackenzie McDonald beat Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3, and Brandon Nakashima beat Jozef Kovalik, 6-3, 6-3.