Djokovic, Nadal, Murray Triumph At Davis Cup Finals

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic helped Serbia get off to an unbeaten start on Wednesday against Japan at the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

Djokovic beat Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1, 6-2 to clinch the win after Filip Krajinovic beat Yuichi Sugita 6-2, 6-4. In doubles, Viktor Troicki/Janko Tipsarevic gave Serbia the 3-0 win with a 7-6(5), 7-6(4) victory against Yasutaka Uchiyama/Ben McLachlan.

“It was a nervy start,” Djokovic told DavisCupFinals.com. “It took time to get used to playing on the court, to get used to the conditions and the lights. But I was pleased. Nishioka is a tricky player. I’ve never faced him before, but he’s got some of the quickest legs on the Tour.”

Andy Murray, playing in his first Davis Cup match since 2016, came back from 1/4 down in the deciding-set tie-break to help Great Britain beat the Netherlands 2-1. The Scot rallied against Tallon Griekspoor, who was competing in his second Davis Cup match ever, 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(5).

“I fought extremely hard at the end, but he was dictating a lot of the points. I thought he served amazing. He was going for huge second serves, and I wasn’t able to find a way to dictate the points today. I just fought hard, just tried to get one extra ball back at the end, made a great scramble at 4/3 in the tie-break and that was enough to turn it my way,” Andy Murray told DavisCupFinals.com.

Spain clinched their place in the quarter-finals as Roberto Bautista Agut and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal didn’t drop a set against Croatia. Bautista Agut, World No. 9, dismissed Nikola Mektic 6-1, 6-3, and Nadal beat Borna Gojo 6-4, 6-3.

“The start of yesterday was not perfect, but here we are. We found a way to win four matches in a row and that sent us through to the quarters, so we’re very happy,” Nadal told DavisCupFinals.com.

Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 7-6(8) to help the Germans earn the 3-0 sweep. Struff hit 12 aces and won 80 per cent of his first-serve points.

Philipp Kohlschreiber also won, beating Guido Pella 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, and in doubles, Nitto ATP Finals qualifiers Kevin Krawietz/Andreas Mies outlasted Leonardo Mayer/Maximo Gonzalez 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 7-6(18).

“It’s our Davis Cup debut and it was unbelievable, I have no words for this,” Krawietz told DavisCupFinals.com.