Russian males’s tennis stars obtain historic 15-year first

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The Russian tennis federation (RTF) group has received the Davis Cup title for the primary time since 2006 after beating Croatia in Sunday’s ultimate in Madrid.

The closely fancied Russians clinched an unassailable 2-Zero lead after Daniil Medvedev defeated former US Open champion Marin Cilic in straight units, 7-6 (9-7) 6-2, within the second singles match of the tie.

Andrey Rublev had set Russia on their approach earlier within the day with a hard-fought victory in his singles match towards gutsy 23-year-old Croatian Borna Gojo, 6-Four 7-6 (7-5). 

The outcomes meant that the doubles match towards Croatia was rendered irrelevant as Russia took the title dwelling for the primary time since they beat Argentina in Moscow 15 years in the past.

Sunday’s ultimate in Spain was the primary time a Russian group had reached this stage of the event – which is probably the most prestigious in males’s worldwide group tennis – since they confronted off towards the USA in 2007.

Russia have now received the Davis Cup 3 times within the event’s illustrious historical past, with their different titles coming in 2002 towards France in Paris in addition to their Moscow triumph in 2006.

RUSSIAN MEN’S TENNIS ON THE UP

With Medvedev and Rublev of their ranks – who’re rated second and fifth on the earth respectively – the Russian group had been among the many sturdy favorites heading into this 12 months’s 18-nation Davis Cup Finals, the place they had been formally competing below the banner of the nationwide tennis federation as a consequence of ongoing WADA sanctions.

Alongside Medvedev and Rublev had been Karen Khachanov and Aslan Karatsev, each top-30 gamers who performed their half within the doubles matches on the way in which to the title, whereas Evgeny Donskoy was additionally on the roster. 

Sunday’s triumph was a very proud second for 73-year-old Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev, who’s the longest-serving Davis Cup captain.

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Daniil Medvedev needed treatment for a nosebleed but helped the Russian team book a spot in the Davis Cup final. © AFP
WATCH: Bloodied Medvedev has excellent response to crowd boos as Russia attain Davis Cup ultimate

En path to the decisive tie of the event, the RTF group had overwhelmed Ecuador after which hosts and defending champions Spain in the course of the round-robin stage, in addition to Sweden within the quarter-finals earlier than overcoming Germany within the semi-finals on Saturday.

Croatia, the 2018 champions, had overwhelmed Novak Djokovic’s Serbia of their semi-final however had been unable to match the spectacular Medvedev and Rublev within the Spanish capital.

The consequence capped a robust 12 months for Russian males’s tennis as Medvedev, 25, received the US Open in September, turning into the primary male star from his nation to win a Grand Slam title for 16 years.

Compatriot Rublev, 24, ends the 12 months at a career-high rating of world quantity 5 and likewise scooped Olympic gold in Tokyo within the blended doubles alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the place they beat compatriots Karatsev and Elena Vesnina within the ultimate.

The Russian males’s group that includes Medvedev, Rublev, Karatsev and Donskoy additionally received the 2021 ATP Cup held in February in Melbourne.

RUSSIAN KINGS AND QUEENS HOLD COURT

Russia now holds probably the most prestigious worldwide group titles in each males’s and girls’s tennis, after Sunday’s success in Spain adopted the triumph within the Billie Jean King Cup (previously often known as the Fed Cup) by feminine Russian stars in November.

READ MORE: Russian feminine tennis stars hail ‘unbelievable’ cup win (VIDEO)

Russia had been topped girls’s world champions after beating Switzerland in November. © Reuters

Girls’s star Pavlyuchenkova, 30, went all the way in which to the ladies’s singles ultimate on the French Open earlier within the 12 months, turning into the primary Russian feminine participant to achieve that stage of a Grand Slam since Maria Sharapova performed Serena Williams within the Australian Open ultimate in 2015.