In-form Russia and Italy will clash in the final of the ATP Cup after both nations swept to unbeatable 2-0 leads following the singles matches on Saturday at Melbourne Park.
At Rod Laver Arena, Daniil Medvedev secured a dramatic three-set victory over Alexander Zverev after fellow Russian Andrey Rublev came from behind to beat Jan-Lennard Struff.
At the same time at John Cain Arena, Matteo Berrettini delivered Italy victory by shutting out Roberto Bautista Agut, after Fabio Fognini won a high-quality affair against Pablo Carreno Busta.
It was a breakthrough victory for Fognini, his first in eight career meetings with the Spaniard.
Berrettini, meanwhile, has not dropped a set in three ATP Cup victories after earlier triumphs over Dominic Thiem and Gael Monfils.
For Medvedev, it was his 13th win on the trot – a streak dating back to November 2020 – while Rublev has now won 24 of his past 28 matches.
All of this means that two teams, with its premier players firing, will meet in a blockbuster final on Sunday.
Ruthless Russia downs Germany
Rublev lost his first set of the season to Struff, who himself was undefeated in the group stages of the ATP Cup as Germany’s No.2 singles player.
But the Russian swung the match around in resounding style, taking a one-sided second set and then winning 12 of the first 15 points of the third to completely wrest control.
He brought up match point with a forehand winner, and completed the 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory with another forehand winner, completing the final set in just 26 minutes.
"In the second set I say: if I'm gonna play like this I'm gonna lose 6-3 6-3 and that's it. So I need to change, go for the shots, start to hit as well, and then I start to play also a reasonable level,” Rublev assessed.
"(Last year) I did a lot of improvements, one of the main ones is my serve. I start to serve much harder.
“The goal is for now is to keep improving, to see where I can be to do my best, because there are still so many things that I can improve with my tennis, with my mentality. And also to focus every day to keep improving them, and we'll see what's gonna happen.”
Medvedev followed Rublev onto court and also lost the first set. But against Zverev, the match remained tense and taut.
Late in the second set, Zverev called for the trainer to treat his lower back, which had begun to lock up and would hamper him for the rest of the match. But still he fought, and the two men engaged in several lengthy rallies within lengthy games, during which both had multiple opportunities to either hold or break serve.
At 5-5 in the third, Zverev played a limp backhand slice into the net to hand Medvedev break points, and surrendered serve with a wild double fault that prompted him to destroy his racquet.
But Medvedev had his own problems on serve when trying to close out the match, coughing up three double faults – two on match points – and fighting off five break points in a seven-deuce game before finally prevailing.
"Balls are tough, they are flying, so crazy match. Happy to win, even if many things I didn't like, but the most important was the win for the country and being in the final,” Medvedev said after securing a draining 3-6 6-3 7-5 win in two hours, 38 minutes.
"In tennis, in these (past) two months for sure, there were big downs, big ups, just normal tennis. So I'm just happy that I can manage to stay high here (in Melbourne).”
Italy sees off Spain
Serving for the match against Carreno Busta, Fognini produced some inspired tennis, striking a forehand winner and two volley winners to seal a 6-2 1-6 6-4 victory over his Spanish nemesis.
"I'm happy because of course this week I start slowly and get better and better,” Fognini said. “I was playing really good tennis. I was feeling really great so that's the most important thing.”
The victory set the stage for Berrettini to complete the job and send the Italian squad through to the final, and the world No.10 delivered.
The powerful 24-year-old slotted a forehand passing shot winner up the line to break for 6-5 in the second set – accompanied by a huge celebration – then sealed a 6-3 7-5 triumph in the next game.
He has won five of his six singles matches in 2021; in the first week of January he reached the quarterfinals at the ATP event in Antalya.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Berrettini said. “Last year I couldn’t make it (to play ATP Cup) so I’m really happy that first time that I played we are into the finals.
“The job is not done yet, but we are really happy for what is happening.”