There is no doubt that Russia should be the favourite to win the Davis Cup this weekend in Madrid, Spain. Led by two of the top five players in the world at the moment, it would be downright stunning if any country got by the Russian Tennis Federation.
On Thursday in the fourth quarterfinal matchup of the week, Andrey Rublev of Russia beat Elias Ymer of Sweden 6-2, 5-7, 7-6, and then Daniil Medvedev of Russia beat Mikael Ymer of Sweden, 6-4, 6-4. The Russian Tennis Federation will now face Germany in the second of two semifinals on Saturday. Russia should easily get by Germany due to the fact the Germans do not have their top player Alexander Zverev, the third ranked player in the world. Ironically Zverev is of Russian descent, as his parents immigrated from the Soviet Union to Germany in 1990.
Despite losing in the quarterfinals, this was a good Davis Cup for Sweden, who exceeded expectations. One must realize the Ymer brothers were rather fortunate because the top three Canadian tennis players did not participate in the Davis Cup this year, leaving the door wide open for Sweden and Kazakhstan to reach the final eight.
The great years for Rublev and Medvedev continue in 2021. Medvedev won the United States Open in September for his first grand slam title of his career. He defeated world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev also won the Canadian Open in August. Rublev’s ATP title in 2021 came in March, where he defeated Marton Fucsovics of Hungary, 7-6, 6-4, in the final of the Rotterdam Open in the Netherlands.
