Germany, Switzerland and Russia all secured Davis Cup World Group status in 2017 with wins on Sunday.

Jan-Lennard Struff led the Germans and stopped Poland from erasing a 0-2 deficit. The 26-year-old Struff won the decisive rubber – his second win of the weekend – 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1 against Hubert Hurkacz to give Germany a 3-2 victory. Poland had won the doubles match and tied the contest when Kamil Majchrzak upset veteran Florian Mayer 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to start Sunday’s play. “To give Germany a 3-2 victory, it means a lot to me,” Struff said. “It’s definitely one of the biggest matches for me so far.”

The Swiss, without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, still defeated Uzbekistan 3-2 in Tashkent. Former World No. 33 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan beat Henri Laaksonen 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 7-5 to force a fifth rubber. In the deciding match, 20 year old Antoine Bellier, playing in his second tie, stepped up with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory against Jurabeck Karimov. “It’s close to a dream,” said Bellier, No. 507 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “I’m glad and I’m proud.”

Konstantin Kravchuk, Andrey Rublev and Andrey Kuznetsov made sure Russia didn’t need a fifth and deciding rubber with wins on Sunday against Kazakhstan. Kravchuk/Rublev won the rain-delayed doubles 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, and Kuznetsov, No. 47 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, dismissed Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Kukushkin was playing in his second singles match of the day after playing the fifth set of his 6-7(7), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win against Evgeny Donskoy on Sunday as well.

The Kukushkin vs. Donskoy rubber was suspended due to darkness after four sets on Saturday. The Russians will return to the World Group for the first time since 2012.

“It’s a very good day today. The guys won doubles, which was very good. That helped me a lot, physically and mentally,” Kuznetsov said. “The whole team is really happy about it, and we’re looking forward to playing in the World Group next year.”

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan and Spain advanced to World Group play on Saturday.

CROATIA 3, FRANCE 1
Venue: Kresimir Cosic Hall, Zadar, CRO (hard – indoor)

World No. 11 Marin Cilic was the hero for Croatia on Sunday, sending the Eastern European nation into its second Davis Cup Final. Cilic, who won both his singles rubbers and teamed with Ivan Dodig to take Saturday’s doubles clash, clinched the tie 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 over Richard Gasquet.

Croatia defeated France 3-1 to return to the Davis Cup Final for the first time in 11 years, when Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic guided them to their lone title in 2005. They became the first unseeded nation to win the title then and will look to replicate the feat this year against either Great Britain or Argentina.

“When you look at the atmosphere, it’s an incredible feeling,” said Cilic. “It’s been a dream weekend for us. I played incredible tennis. I produced a great performance for all the crowd. I can’t be more proud than right now.

“We have always been playing well in Davis Cup. It’s something that’s in your heart. If we can play the final at home it would be an amazing spectacle.”

On Sunday, Cilic was dominant on the fast hard court in Zadar. He sealed the tie with forehand approach winner into the open court after two hours and 14 minutes. In total, the 27 year old fired 21 winners, including 14 aces, while converting six of nine break chances.

Cilic levels the FedEx ATP Head2Head against Gasquet at 2-2, having dropped their first two encounters. The Croatian has since won two in a row this year, including a three-set victory at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. He has been on a tear in recent months, after reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals and claiming his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati.

GREAT BRITAIN 2, ARGENTINA 2
Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow, GBR (hard – indoor)

Andy Murray has put Great Britain on the brink of a historic comeback on the indoor hard court at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. The Brit routed Argentina’s Guido Pella 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to force a deciding fifth rubber on Sunday. Murray rebounded nicely after suffering his first home defeat in Davis Cup singles on Friday (l. to Del Potro), ending a 20-match win streak.

“It feels great,” said Murray. “We were in a lot of trouble a few days ago, but this is the best we can hope for. I hope we can get the job done.”

Great Britain will turn to Daniel Evans to complete the 0-2 comeback, while Argentina counters with Leonardo Mayer. It will be a tough task, with Mayer owning a 10-3 singles record in Davis Cup play and coming off title run at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Manerbio, Italy less than a month ago.

Evans enters in strong form as well, after claiming a Challenger title of his own in Aptos, U.S.A. in early August and pushing eventual champion Stan Wawrinka to five sets in the US Open third round.

Evans is bidding to secure just the 11th comeback from 0-2 down in World Group history. The defending champion Brits are also seeking to capture their seventh consecutive tie victory.

Hiroki Moriya ended a four-match skid in style, streaking to the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Nanchang, China. The Tecnifibre player did not drop a set before rallying to defeat fourth seed Hyeon Chung 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday.

Moriya was appearing in his first final in more than two years, when he claimed his maiden Challenger title on the hard courts of Granby, Canada in 2014. The 25-year-old Japanese is closing in on a return to the Top 150 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, rising more than 50 spots to a projected World No. 166.

“I didn’t expect to win the championship here when I got to Nanchang,” said Moriya. “I fought for every match and I am very happy with my performance this week. This is my second visit here in Nanchang and I love this city and now I have some nice memories to share with my family.”

It marks the second straight week a Tecnifibre player has won a title, following Daniil Medvedev’s victory in Saint-Remy, France. Medvedev is vying for $50,000 in the Young Guns On The Road competition. Learn More

Meanwhile, #NextGen star Chung was appearing in his first tournament in four months after suffering an abdominal injury. He is looking to return to the Top 100 after falling to No. 145.

Morocco Tennis Tour Meknes (Meknes, Morocco): Maximilian Marterer won his first ATP Challenger Tour title on Saturday in Meknes, defeating Uladzimir Ignatik 7-6(3), 6-3 in 90 minutes. The eighth seed was dominant all week, not dropping a set, while saving an impressive 22 of 23 break points faced. He is the seventh different player from Germany to lift a trophy this year, joining Florian Mayer, Tobias Kamke, Michael Berrer, Mischa Zverev, Dustin Brown and Jan-Lennard Struff.