Russia has won the second ever ATP Cup. In a best-of-three match final, Russia defeated Italy 2-0. Due to the fact Russia won the two singles matches, there was no need for them to play the doubles match.
On Saturday, Daniil Medvedev beat Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-2, and Andrey Rublev beat Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2. Medvedev broke Berrettini three times in their match, while Rublev broke Fognini four times. Fognini meanwhile never had a break point opportunity.
Russia reached the final by beating Germany 2-1 in the semifinals. There, Rublev beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Medvedev, meanwhile beat Alexander Zverev of Germany 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Italy beat Spain in two singles matches in the other semifinal. Fognini beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, and Berrettini beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 7-5.
The fact that Russia won the ATP Cup should come as absolutely no surprise. They were the only nation with two players ranked in the top 10, and were my pick to win the event when the tournament started this past Tuesday.
Furthermore, Medvedev is my pick to win the 2021 Australian Open men’s singles championship. The 24-year-old righthander from Moscow, has been in a grand slam final before. However, he lost to Rafael Nadal of Spain 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 in the United States Open Final.
Medvedev had a fantastic fall. He first beat Zverev in the final of the Paris Masters, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, and then beat Dominic Thiem of Austria 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 to win the ATP Finals.
However, Medvedev might get an unexpected challenge in the first round in Melbourne from Canadian Vasek Pospisil. Last year in Rotterdam, Pospisil beat Medvedev with complete ease, 6-4, 6-3.
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