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ATP Cup Updates: France Replaces Austria, Djokovic & Rublev Out

  • Posted: Dec 29, 2021

France has become a late addition to the 16-country 2022 ATP Cup, replacing Austria in Group B following the withdrawals of Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak. World No. 35 Ugo Humbert will lead the Frenchmen as he is joined by Arthur Rinderknech, Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Fabrice Martin in Sydney.

It was also announced Wednesday that World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Cup. Serbia remains in the competition and will be led by World No. 33 Dusan Lajovic.

Russia’s Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy have pulled out, and Evgeny Karlovskiy will join the team. Team USA’s Austin Krajicek has also withdrawn, and will not be replaced at this time.

The ATP Cup will begin on Saturday 1 January at 10 a.m. at both Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.

Updated 2022 ATP Cup Rosters (as of 29 December)

 Serbia
 Dusan Lajovic
 Filip Krajinovic
 Nikola Cacic
 Matej Sabanov
 Captain: Ivan Sabanov 

Great Britain
Cameron Norrie
Daniel Evans
Liam Broady (Captain)
Joe Salisbury
Jamie Murray 
 Russia
 Daniil Medvedev
 Roman Safiullin
 Evgeny Karlovskiy
 Captain: Gilles Cervara
Argentina
Diego Schwartzman
Federico Delbonis
Federico Coria
Maximo Gonzalez
Andres Molteni
Captain: Alejandro Fabbri 
 Germany
 Alexander Zverev
 Jan-Lennard Struff
 Yannick Hanfmann
 Kevin Krawietz
 Tim Puetz
 Captain: Michael Kohlmann
Chile
Cristian Garin
Alejandro Tabilo
Tomas Barrios Vera
Captain: Jorge Aguilar
 Greece
 Stefanos Tsitsipas
 Michail Pervolarakis
 Petros Tsitsipas
 Markos Kalovelonis
 Aristotelis Thanos
 Captain: Apostolos Tsitsipas
Spain
Roberto Bautista Agut
Pablo Carreno Busta
Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Pedro Martinez 
Captain: Daniel Gimeno-Traver

 Italy
 Matteo Berrettini
 Jannik Sinner
 Lorenzo Sonego
 Simone Bolelli
 Fabio Fognini
 Captain: Vincenzo Santopadre 

Georgia
Nikoloz Basilashvili
Aleksandre Metreveli
Aleksandre Bakshi
Zura Tkemaladze
Saba Purtseladze
Captain: David Kvernadze 
 Norway
 Casper Ruud
 Viktor Durasovic
 Lukas Hellum-Lilleengen
 Leyton Rivera
 Andreja Petrovic
 Captain: Christian Ruud
United States
Taylor Fritz
John Isner
Brandon Nakashima
Rajeev Ram
Captain: Michael Russell
 Poland
 Hubert Hurkacz
 Kamil Majchrzak
 Kacper Zuk
 Jan Zielinski
 Szymon Walkow
 Captain: Marcin Matkowski

Australia (WC)
Alex de Minaur
James Duckworth
Max Purcell
John Peers
Luke Saville
Captain: Lleyton Hewitt

 Canada
 Felix Auger-Aliassime (Captain)
 Denis Shapovalov
 Brayden Schnur
 Steven Diez
France
Ugo Humbert
Arthur Rinderknech
Edouard Roger-Vasselin
Fabrice Martin
Captain: Nicolas Copin             

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Felix, Stefanos Sharpen Games As ATP Cup Draws Near

  • Posted: Dec 29, 2021

With just three days to go before ATP Cup kicks off the 2022 ATP Tour season, Top 10 stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas honed their games on the practice courts at Sydney Olympic Park Wednesday.

Auger-Aliassime leads Canada in Group C, where the 21-year-old will face No. 1 singles clashes with Alexander Zverev, Cameron Norrie and Taylor Fritz.

In his first practise at this year’s event, Tsitsipas worked out under the watchful eye of his father and team captain Apostolos. The World No. 4 spearheads Greece in Group C and is scheduled to meet Hubert Hurkacz, Diego Schwartzman and Nikoloz Basilashvili in group play.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev practised with his singles teammate Jan-Lennard Struff on an outer court under the gaze of team captain Michael Kohlmann. Zverev, who finished 2021 by winning his second Nitto ATP Finals title, will be determined to improve his disappointing 1-5 match record in the first two years of the tournament.

Struff has returned winning records in the first two editions of the event, boasting a 4-2 match tally, including wins over Auger-Aliassime in 2020 and Milos Raonic in 2021.

Top 10 Italians Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner practised together in cool to mild conditions in Sydney as they work on claiming revenge for their defeat in the 2021 final to Russia. The teams will meet in a blockbuster Group B showdown on the final day of group play on 6 January.

Running 1-9 January, ATP Cup will be staged in the first week of the 2022 ATP Tour season alongside ATP 250 events in Adelaide and Melbourne. The 2022 tournament will feature a 16-team field in four groups and be hosted across two venues in Sydney – Ken Rosewall Arena and the Qudos Bank Arena – both at Sydney Olympic Park. The four group winners will contest the knockout stage – to be played exclusively at Ken Rosewall Arena – from 7 January.

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Kyrgios Receives Sydney Wild Card

  • Posted: Dec 29, 2021

Nick Kyrgios has received a wild card into the Sydney Tennis Classic, which will be played at Sydney Olympic Park from 10-15 January.

The Australian, who is beginning his season at the Melbourne Summer Set, has not competed since the Laver Cup in September.

“I’ve been training at home in Canberra and here in Sydney and I feel good after an extended break from the game,” Kyrgios said. “I’m looking forward to the final hit-out before the AO, thanks to Tennis Australia for the opportunity to play.”

Kyrgios went 7-8 in 2021, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The World No. 93 has captured one of his six ATP Tour titles on home soil, having triumphed in Brisbane in 2018.

Other players in the field at the Sydney ATP 250 include Alex de Minaur, Kei Nishikori, Cristian Garin, Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka and Roberto Bautista Agut.

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Thiem Withdraws From Australian Open

  • Posted: Dec 29, 2021

Dominic Thiem announced Tuesday that he has withdrawn from next month’s Australian Open.

The former World No. 3, who also pulled out of the ATP Cup earlier this month due to a non-Covid-19-related illness, has not played a tour-level match since June when he suffered a right wrist injury at the Mallorca Championships.

“After the short holidays, my team and I have assessed all matters and we have decided to make some changes to my initial tournament schedule: I will start the season in South America at the Cordoba Open in Argentina, end of January, and therefore I will not play this year at the Australian Open in Melbourne,” Thiem wrote on Twitter.

The Austrian reached the Australian Open final in 2020, losing to Novak Djokovic in a five-set championship match. Last season, the 17-time tour-level titlist went 9-9, with his best coming at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he advanced to the semi-finals.

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