10 Takeaways From Day 6 At The ATP Cup

The group stages are now complete. On Day 6 at the ATP Cup, the four remaining Final Eight positions were taken by group winners Spain and Argentina, while Belgium and Canada advanced as the two best second-placed teams.

Here are 10 of the biggest takeaways from Day 6:

1) Spain Qualifies: Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal once again proved too strong in Group B singles action. Bautista Agut needed 79 minutes to beat Go Soeda 6-2, 6-4, before Nadal overcame the challenge of Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(4), 6-4 to clinch a Final Eight spot for Spain.

2) Argentina Advances: Argentina swept its final Group E tie against Croatia 3-0 to book a Final Eight tie against Russia. Guido Pella downed Marin Cilic 7-6(1), 6-3, before Diego Schwartzman recorded his first win of the 2020 ATP Tour season against Borna Coric 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the tie and Final Eight qualification.

3) Serbia Makes It 3-0: In the day session at Pat Rafter Arena, Serbia ended its Group A campaign with a third tie victory against Chile. Dusan Lajovic started the day with a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory against Nicolas Jarry and Novak Djokovic earned an unassailable 2-0 lead after beating Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-3.

4) Polish Power: Poland ended its ATP Cup campaign with a 2-1 triumph against Austria in Sydney. Kacper Zuk rallied from a set down to beat Dennis Novak 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, before Hubert Hurkacz edged World No. 4 Dominic Thiem 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).

5) Belgium The Best: After beating Bulgaria 2-1 to end Day 5 with the best second-placed record, Belgium maintained that position on Day 6. Steve Darcis’ men will face Group B winners Spain in the Final Eight.

6) Canada Squeezes Through: Like Belgium, Canada also sat in one of the two best second-place finisher spots at the end of Day 5. Despite a fierce day of competition, none of the three second-placed teams in Groups A, B or E could better Canada’s record. Adriano Fuorivia’s men will meet Serbia in the Final Eight.

7) South African Success: South Africa finished Group A in second position, upsetting France 2-1 in Brisbane. After Gilles Simon defeated Lloyd Harris 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 to end South Africa’s hopes of a Final Eight spot, Kevin Anderson saved match point to beat Benoit Paire 2-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(5) and eliminate France from contention. In doubles, Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse defeated Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-4 to clinch a 2-1 win.

8) Paire Magic: Paire produced one of the shots of the tournament during his match against Anderson. Chasing an angled drop shot, the talented Frenchman hit a diving forehand around the net post to find the corner of the court.

9) Georgia Finishes With Win: Georgia ended its ATP Cup bid with a 2-1 success against Uruguay. Aleksandre Metreveli cruised past Franco Roncadelli 6-2, 6-1, before Nikoloz Basilashvili battled past Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to end Group B in third place.

10) Bidding Farewell: With nine countries still in contention for the remaining four positions in the Final Eight at the start of Day 6, five countries ended their qualification bids on Wednesday. South Africa and France exited the competition in Group A, Japan fell short in Group B and the hopes of Croatia and Austria were ended in Group E.