Thanasi Kokkinakis has vindicated his shock captain’s name to maintain Australia’s Davis Cup title hopes alive with a nerve-shredding victory over big-serving American Ben Shelton in Spain.
Kokkinakis saved 4 match factors earlier than lastly changing on the sixth of his personal in a tension-filled and important 6-1 4-6 7-6 (16-14) win within the opening singles rubber of Australia’s quarter-final tie in Malaga.
However Alex de Minaur misplaced the second tie 6-3, 6-4 to Talor Fritz to arrange a decider within the doubles match between the Australian pair of Jordan Thompson and Matt Ebden and People Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
Skipper Lleyton Hewitt sprung a range shock, choosing Kokkinakis to steer Australia into battle on Thursday forward of the higher-ranked Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson.
With title glory in Montreal in August, Popyrin was the primary Australian since Hewitt in 2003 to win a Masters 1000 crown, earlier than taking down Novak Djokovic on the US Open 4 weeks later.
Thompson has additionally cracked the world’s prime 30 for the primary time together with his personal breakout season.
However, growth or bust, Hewitt continued to again Kokkinakis, regardless of him being ranked greater than 50 locations beneath each Popyrin and Thompson.
Kokkinakis was contemporary off profitable the NSW Open’s ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Sydney after additionally upsetting 2023 Australian Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas on the US Open in September.
And the 28-year-old delivered to present Australia a 1-0 lead within the do-or-die quarter-final Cup tie.
Kokkinakis’s victory gave world No.9 Alex de Minaur the prospect to ship Australia into a 3rd straight Davis Cup semi-final with victory over the fifth-ranked Taylor Fritz within the second singles match.
However, in a repeat of final week’s ATP Finals group phases final week in Turin when Fritz edged de Minaur, the American triumphed to tug their head-to-head report degree at 5-5.
Chasing a primary Davis Cup title since 2003, Australia are bidding to make a 3rd consecutive last after shedding to Canada and Italy previously two deciders.
Kokkinakis vindicated his captain’s religion to steam by the opening set in 22 minutes, breaking Shelton 3 times.
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