ATP Cup: Australia after a crazy crime against Great Britain in the semi-finals
Team Australia was the first team to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Cup on Thursday. In a more than entertaining double, Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur prevailed over Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury and ensured the much-celebrated crucial point in Sydney. The match-tie break alone lasted half an hour.
by Lukas Zahrer
last edit: Jan 09, 2020, 08:18 am
"It is incredible that we can celebrate this victory in my hometown," said de Minaur. "I tried to put as much energy as possible into this double."
"I'm just trying to put him in a positive mood," said Kyrgios. "I'm almost a little sorry [for Jamie]. He had a simple backhand, I thought the match was over." Murray had a huge opportunity to take his team one round further in one of the four British double match balls. However, the double specialist missed a blow in the completely free field and put his stroke out.
The Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt surprised with the lineup for the double when he did without John Peers and sent both singles on the pitch. De Minaur and Kyrgios thanked him for the trust with hammered returns and nerve strength in tight moments.
Kyrgios puts Australia in front - Evans surprises against de Minaur
Previously, Kyrgios put his team in the lead with a safe 6-2, 6-2 over Cameron Norrie. In a high-class game over 3:24 hours, de Minaur Daniel Evans narrowly lost in the tie-break of the third set.
Australia will face Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals on Saturday. Argentina will face Russia in the second quarter-final encounter on Thursday. All matches can be seen free of charge in the livestream in Austria !
ATP Cup: Australia 2-1 Great Britain
| Great Britain | Australia | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Norrie | Nick Kyrgios | 2: 6, 2: 6 |
| Daniel Evans | Alex de Minaur | 7: 6 (4), 4: 6, 7: 6 (2) |
| J Murray / J Salisbury | de Minaur / Kyrgios | 6: 3, 3: 6 16-18 |