Goffin Leads Belgium vs. Australia; Serbia Faces Tsonga-Led France

AUSTRALIA vs. BELGIUM
Brussels, Belgium (Indoor Clay)

World No. 12 David Goffin will try to push Belgium into its second Davis Cup final of the past three years when the Belgians take on Australia in the Davis Cup semi-finals, which start on Friday.

Goffin and his countrymen will have their work cut out for them in Brussels. Australia is bringing World No. 20 Nick Kyrgios; John Millman, who’s coming off a third-round run at the US Open and will be making his Davis Cup debut; Jordan Thompson, who upset top-seeded American Jack Sock in New York; and John Peers, No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.

In addition to Goffin, Belgium will be represented by No. 77 Steve Darcis, No. 92 Ruben Bemelmans and No. 147 Arthur De Greef. The two countries have split their four meetings. Belgium fell in the 2015 final against an Andy Murray-led Great Britain squad.

SERBIA vs. FRANCE
Lille, France – (Outdoor Clay)

In the other semi-final, Serbia, without Novak Djokovic, will take on a star-studded squad in France. The French will try to avenge their 2010 Davis Cup final loss to the Serbians with No. 18 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 22 Lucas Pouille, and the doubles team of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

Serbia will counter with No. 80 Dusan Lajovic; No. 93 Laslo Djere, who will be making his Davis Cup debut; No. 111 Filip Krajinovic and Nenad Zimonjic, No. 39 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.

WORLD GROUP PLAYOFF TIES

Defending champion Argentina will try to maintain its World Group status without 2016 hero Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentines, led by US Open quarter-finalist Diego Schwartzman, will face Kazakhstan on hard courts in Astana, Kazakhstan. ATP World Tour veteran Mikhail Kukushkin will lead the host country. Sweden, in 1999, was the last team to be relegated the year after winning the Davis Cup title.

Last year’s finalist, Croatia, will try to win its fourth consecutive tie on clay when the country faces Colombia in Bogota. Colombia is trying to reach the World Group for the first time. Croatia will be led by Marin Cilic, who could become the Davis Cup singles match-wins leader if he wins two singles rubbers this weekend.