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ATP Cup Preview: Powerhouse Russia Eyes Group D Dominance

Powerhouse Russia headlines Group D at the 2021 ATP Cup, which begins on 2 February in Melbourne. The second edition of the event features 12 countries competing across four groups, with the top team from each group advancing to the knock-out semi-finals.

Here is everything you need to know about Group D: who is playing, when they’ll hit the court and how to follow all the action.

Group D: Russia, Argentina, Japan
A young squad anchored by not one but two Top 10 players makes Russia a dangerous threat in Group D. Even if a country’s No. 2 singles player manages to cool the red-hot Andrey Rublev, who won the most titles and joint-most matches in 2020, they’d still be in for a battle against giant-slaying Russian No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion. Medvedev led Russia to the semi-finals at the inaugural ATP Cup, and he’ll be keen to start the season with even more success in Melbourne.

If any team has the best chance to spoil Team Russia’s party, it might be Japan, led by ATP Cup debutante Kei Nishikori. The Japanese No. 1 can hold his own against Medvedev, evidenced by a 2-2 record in his ATP Head2Head against the Russian, while Yoshihito Nishioka defeated Rublev in their only previous encounter. World No. 41 Nishikori also leads 3-1 in the Head2Head against Diego Schwartzman, but the Japanese player is still finding his best form as he seeks to lead Team Japan out of the ATP Cup group stage for the first time.

World No. 9 Schwartzman returns to lead a deep Argentina side after a career-best 2020 season saw him crack the Top 10 of the FedExATP Rankings and make his Nitto ATP Finals debut. He will receive plenty of support from lefty Guido Pella, who reached a career-high No. 20 in 2019, and a doubles duo made up of Horacio Zeballos, the No. 3-ranked player in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings, and Maximo Gonzalez, with whom Zeballos won an ATP Tour title and reached two finals in 2019.

Meet The Group D Players 

Three Group D Matches To Watch

Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG)
The first day of action will feature a rematch of last year’s quarter-final as World No. 4 Medvedev begins his campaign against World No. 9 Schwartzman. He’ll be looking to extend his mastery over the Argentine in their sixth career clash. Most recently, Medvedev defeated Schwartzman in straight sets en route to the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals crown.

Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Nishikori will make his ATP Cup debut against familiar foe Medvedev on Day 2 of group action. The Japanese player has the game to make the crafty Medvedev sweat, and the pair are deadlocked at two wins apiece in their Head2Head. Nishikori won their only meeting on Australian soil in three sets at 2019 Brisbane, but Medvedev will have the momentum on his side after finishing the season with a victory at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)
Rublev won Most Improved Player of the Year in last year’s ATP Awards after a career-best season saw him lift a tour-leading five titles and rise to No. 8 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But he’ll have a battle on his hands against Japan’s No. 2 Nishioka, whose speed around the court could prove to be a foil for Rublev’s aggressive play. Nishioka leads their Head2Head after winning their only previous encounter at 2019 Sydney.

Where To Watch ATP Cup
TV Schedule

Group D Schedule 
View full group stage schedule

Tuesday, 2 February: Russia vs Argentina
John Cain Arena – starts 5:30pm
Andrey Rublev vs Guido Pella
Not before 7:00pm
Daniil Medvedev vs Diego Schwartzman
Evgeny Donskoy / Aslan Karatsev vs Maximo Gonzalez / Horacio Zeballos 

Wednesday, 3 February: Russia vs Japan
John Cain Arena – starts 5:30pm
Andrey Rublev vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Not before 7:00pm
Daniil Medvedev vs Kei Nishikori
Followed by doubles match – Players TBC

Thursday, 4 February: Argentina vs Japan
John Cain Arena – starts 5:30pm
Guido Pella vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Not before 7:00pm
Diego Schwartzman vs Kei Nishikori
Followed by doubles match – Players TBC

*Match schedule is subject to change in line with ATP rules and regulations

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Gippsland Trophy: Katie Boulter wins as Australian Open warm-ups begin

Britain’s Katie Boulter beats Anna Kalinskaya in the Gippsland Trophy first round as players begin their Australian Open preparations.

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Mirnyi Excited To Lead Team Japan, Happy With Nishikori's Preparations

Max Mirnyi has been working hard with Kei Nishikori ahead of the 12-team ATP Cup, which has pitted Japan in Group D alongside Russia and Argentina.

”We did the maximum we could do being in a room environment,” said Mirnyi, on coming out of the 14-day quarantine in Melbourne. “There was a lot of physical activity going on. My room was next to Kei’s room. I could see there was a lot of medicine ball activity, weights, running and jumping.

“We’re all going to be just happy and glad that the tournaments are here for us to play. Hopefully, by the time the tournament starts, everybody is going to be ready in the best possible way for the event.”

Nishikori said, “I am new to play this tournament, so I’m a little bit nervous. I don’t know how it’s going to be. I will just try to play my best tennis. I feel okay after being two weeks in a room.”

Mirnyi, who joined Nishikori’s coaching team in December 2019 after a 22-year-old professional career, will act as Japan’s captain this week. He will also working alongside Toshihide Matsui, Yoshihito Nishioka and Ben McLachlan.

Japan plays its first Group D tie against Russia on Wednesday and Nishioka, who went 2-1 in last year’s tournament that included a strong performance against Rafael Nadal, is looking forward to meeting Andrey Rublev.

“He had a great year last year,” said Nishioka. “I know it’s going to be very tough for me. Last year I had a great time in this tournament, so hopefully this year our team, with Kei coming back and also a new captain, we [have] got more power. I’m ready for play against Rublev. He’s going to be very aggressive, so I need to be ready for that and just figure out how to beat him. That’s going to be very important.”

Mirnyi added, “It’s a very exciting event. I had great fun viewing it on the television last year. It’s great to be part of it this year. We’re excited to be here with this line-up.”

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Team France Will Be Motivated; Monfils Will Make Sure Of It

Team France will have plenty of motivation as it competes in the ATP Cup this week. Gael Monfils will make sure of it, according to his countrymen.

Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are two of the best doubles players in the world, but they went 0-3 in the inaugural ATP Cup one year ago. Mahut says that not only do they want to work hard to turn that around as a doubles pair, but that Monfils will certainly be on the case.

“When you have Gael on the team, you always feel the pressure,” Mahut said, cracking a laugh. “Believe me.”

Mahut added that it is “revenge for us this year” in terms of the Frenchmen’s performance, a sentiment Roger-Vasselin agreed with.

“Last year we had bad results. We didn’t win any matches in doubles,” Roger-Vasselin said. “We are really excited to play again. We’ll try, for sure, our best to win all matches we can and help the team to win games and to qualify for the semi-finals.

The French believe having a Team Zone in the corner in the court like there was at last year’s event will help. They feed off each other during matches.

“Obviously it’s a big help. In this kind of competition, you have the captain of course, and you have the guys just behind us on the chair. We really can count on Benoit and Gael to fire us up,” Mahut said. “Last year, we didn’t play as good as we wanted to. It was a good experience. We look forward to playing again and having the chance to bring some points to the team.”

Paire is France’s No. 2 singles player, and he will try to get his country off to a quick start to its ties against Austria and Italy. But most important to him is supporting his teammates.

“Just most important for me is the team. If we win with the team, it’s good. After, even if I lose, it doesn’t matter, if the team wins,” Paire said. “I’m going to try to prepare to do as good a match against Fognini as I can on Wednesday. I really enjoyed last year. I want to do the same and enjoy with the team.”

Monfils and Paire are two of the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour, and they will do their best to put on a show as they try to break through Group C to reach the semi-finals.

“Just expect to have positive vibes and energy on the stands, some screaming,” Monfils said. “[It] will be definitely a big help, a big boost for us.”

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Hurkacz/Sinner Sink Aussie Duo In Melbourne Doubles Opener

Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner christened their doubles debut with a comfortable victory over Australian duo Scott Puodziunas and Calum Puttergill on Monday at the Great Ocean Road Open.

In singles, Hurkacz and Sinner sit on opposite sides of the draw as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. Hurkacz seeks to continue the momentum after winning his second career singles title at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com to start the season, while 19-year-old Sinner turned heads after reaching the quarter-final at last year’s Roland Garros.

The pair partnered up to defeat wild cards Puodziunas and Puttergill in straight sets, combining for nine break opportunities against the Aussies. Hurkacz and Sinner needed one break of serve to seal each set as they marched to victory after 57 minutes.

Also in action at the Murray River Open, another pair of Delray Beach champions hit the court as Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar picked up where they left off in South Florida with another victory.

Behar and Escobar needed just 50 minutes to record four breaks of serve against Australians Andrew Harris and Alexei Popyrin en route to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Did You Know?
Hurkacz won an ATP Masters 1000 doubles title last year, partnering with Felix Auger-Aliassime to the Rolex Paris Masters crown.

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Moutet Masters Tiafoe Test At Murray River Open

#NextGenATP Frenchman Corentin Moutet made a statement start to the year after coming back from a set down against Frances Tiafoe to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Monday at the Murray River Open.

The 21-year-old came into the match looking to once again make waves in his season-opening event. Last year, Moutet posted his career-best result as he stormed into the final at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open as a qualifier, finishing runner-up to Andrey Rublev.

 [WATCH LIVE 3]

Moutet had to overcome a sluggish start in Melbourne as he found his rhythm against 2019 Australian Open quarter-finalist Tiafoe, No. 62 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But once he settled into the match the lefty unleashed his speed around the court, forcing Tiafoe to hit an extra ball after what would normally be a clean winner.

The Frenchman outlasted Tiafoe in the third set to fight off break points and take a 3-1 lead, but he had trouble keeping him contained as Tiafoe made a late effort to get back on serve at 4-4. But Moutet held off Tiafoe and sealed his spot in the second round of the Murray River Open after two hours and seven minutes.

“It was so nice to play a match,” Moutet said afterwards. “It was a long time since I’ve played a match, especially in front of people. It wasn’t an easy one, because I had to play against a tough opponent who is a great player. A tough match, but definitely a lot of pleasure.”

More to follow…

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No Room To Relax For Nishioka In ATP Cup Return

At last year’s inaugural ATP Cup, Yoshihito Nishioka underwent a baptism of fire as he took on the mantle of Japan’s No. 1 singles player in Kei Nishikori’s absence. The 25-year-old held his own to claim two crucial points for his team, and gave World No. 1 Rafael Nadal a stern test before Japan bowed out in the group stage.

Back in action in Melbourne, battle-tested Nishioka knows there’s no room to relax even as Nishikori readies for his own ATP Cup debut. With hard quarantine keeping his teammate out of commission, Nishioka knows that Team Japan will be leaning on him more than ever.

“It’s going to be a little bit different [from last year]. But [on the court] the situation is the same: three sets and three matches. So for sure it’s going to be very fun,” Nishioka said.

ATPTour.com caught up with the World No. 57 before the tournament to talk about last year’s stellar performance, his love for team events and how he’s adjusting to his new role as Team Japan’s No. 2.

How do you feel about representing Team Japan again at the ATP Cup?
It’s very exciting to play ATP Cup a second year as well. Last year it was 24 countries and this year it’s 12, so it’s going to be a little bit different. But [on the court] the situation is the same: three sets and three matches. So for sure it’s going to be very fun. 

I know it’s a very, very tough time right now. It’s tough [for players] to get practice, some players [got] no practice. Even Kei [Nishikori], he [was] not practising for 14 days. So this is very tough for Team Japan. But I think everyone is excited to play the tournament. For many players, it’s going to be the first tournament of the year.

The team events are my favourite. I know there is Davis Cup as well, but the ATP Cup is also a bit different. It is very exciting to play this year again. Hopefully we can try to win.

What do you enjoy about team events, and what makes the ATP Cup special for you?
Because tennis players are always travelling by ourselves, only with our team. So we don’t get to travel that much with friends. Especially the Japanese, we don’t have very many top players in our country so most people play at the Challengers, not [on the] ATP Tour.

We’re not going to be at the same tournament every time, only at the team tournaments we can stay together. I like that. We can play with a team, and also play for our country – that’s why I love it as a team event.

How would you introduce each of your teammates?
So Kei, everybody knows Kei. I don’t know how well the fans know about him, but he loves to play games. I think one of the nicest guys on Tour. He has taught me many things, inside the court and also outside the court.

Ben [McLachlan], I didn’t know him before maybe five years [ago]. He’s also a nice guy. But I thought he was just very shy… but he wasn’t! He’s very, very funny. He has started learning to speak Japanese and he’s getting better and better. I hope his Japanese [continues] improving this time as well and we can try to have some conversations in Japanese, not only English.

Toshi [Toshihide Matsui] is the oldest guy in our team, and also in Japanese tennis. He can still play singles [at 42 years old], his body is very, very strong. I think he’s stronger than me for sure… He has many experiences to share, both good and bad experiences. So he can teach us about both things.

And me… Maybe I’m a little bit of a funny guy? [laughs]

Last year as Japan’s No. 1, you played some phenomenal tennis and even gave Rafael Nadal a stern test. What inspired those performances?
Last year was a very wonderful moment for me. I had a great time, and I think it was the perfect start to the year 2020. I don’t know why I started last year very well, but I was feeling very confident. It was the first tournament of the year and that’s the team event, which like I said is my favourite.

And last year, we didn’t have Kei [due to injury], so I was the No. 1. I [felt] a bit of pressure, but it was also very fun to play against the top players in the world. I was very excited to play for my country as the No. 1 player.

How different will it be to play as Japan’s No. 2? You’ll be taking the court first every time, does that affect your mentality? 
I think No.2 players, if you win the first match, it’s going to be good for the team and it puts pressure on the other opponent countries. So for me, the first match is going to be very important for Team Japan.

We’re going to play first against Russia, which is against [Andrey] Rublev. I know him pretty well. I know he won [against] many good players, he made the Top 10. I think he is younger than me, but still he is very, very good. He’s very aggressive. But I think I can figure out how to beat him and if I do, that will be a help to Kei so he can be [more] relaxed to play against [Daniil] Medvedev. [Argentina’s No. 2] Guido Pella, I’ve played him a couple of times, but he beat me every time. But also, Pella had a hard quarantine for 14 days, which is tough for him as well. 

How have Team Japan preparations changed with Kei Nishikori in hard quarantine?
I cannot imagine how tough [it will be] to play after 14 days. I cannot imagine… The most important thing is that he has to be healthy, because he has to play against Medvedev and Diego [Schwartzman], both great players.

For sure, we are all hoping he can come back fast… We just need to all support him, and I want to help as much as I can with what I can do. Kei is really important to beat the other countries, so we need him. He is very important to Team Japan. He motivates us as well, me, Ben and Matsui. Ben and I are both younger than them so when Kei is showing us what he can do, we get more motivated to go higher. So we are believing in him and we are trying our best for him. 

Former player Max Mirnyi, who coaches Nishikori, will be Japan’s team captain. How well do you know him, and what is he like as captain?
I know him pretty well. When I was at IMG Academy when I was 16 or 17, he was still playing on the Tour. He was playing singles as well, not only doubles. He practised with me many times at IMG Academy. We played a couple of sets and also doubles practice.

He’s very, very focused. I think he can bring us the great mentality of how to beat the top players. Of course Kei is here and he’s a top player too, but Max knows how to beat the top players as well. I think he can bring us a strong mentality. He can tell us many things to improve the Japanese team. 

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Korda Cruises To Second Challenger Title In Quimper

Sebastian Korda is making it look too easy.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old American punctuated his Top 100 breakthrough with a second ATP Challenger Tour title in Quimper, France. Dialed in from the first ball, Korda blitzed Slovakia’s Filip Horansky 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 50 minutes to seal his victory at the Open Quimper Bretagne Occidentale.

Projected to enter the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time on Monday, it was a week the Florida native will never forget. He not only becomes the youngest American to win multiple Challenger titles since 2017, but will also be the youngest from his country to crack the Top 100 since an 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe five years ago.

“I always knew I had the game to do this,” said Korda. “It’s just been about getting my body right and really having some good people around me that push me every single day. It’s a lot of little things but they are so important to get to where I want to be. It took some pressure off my shoulders when I heard I cracked the Top 100 for sure, but it’s been a good week in Quimper and I’m happy to get my second Challenger title.”

Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/FFT

Seeded second at an ATP Challenger Tour event for the first time, Korda was forced to embrace the role of favourite throughout the week. After surviving a pair of marathon encounters to open the tournament, including one that saw him save a match point and rally from 1/5 down in the deciding tie-break, Korda found his rhythm.

The 20-year-old’s backhand exploded off the indoor hard courts at the Parc des Expositions, defeating an in-form Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets in Saturday’s semi-final, followed by an efficient championship performance against Horansky. He fired nine aces and converted five of 16 break points to defeat the Slovakian in under an hour.

“The week started out pretty tough,” Korda added. “I played a guy [Tristan Lamasine] who was playing some really good tennis. But I just stayed with him from down 1/5 in the third-set breaker. I pulled through that match and had another three-setter in the second round. I started getting more comfortable and today I just played an incredible match. I just knew what to expect and executed a good gameplan today.”

Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/FFT

Projected to rise to a career-high No. 88 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, Korda has soared more than 150 spots in the past year, cementing himself as one of the top contenders to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November. The American has now won 14 of his last 15 matches overall, also including a maiden Challenger title to cap his 2020 campaign in Eckental, Germany, and a first ATP Tour final appearance in Delray Beach to kick off 2021.

Having withdrawn from the upcoming Quimper-2 Challenger with a groin ailment, he will next appear at the ATP Challenger Tour stop in Biella, Italy, beginning 8 February.

Youngest Americans To Win Multiple Challenger Titles (since 2010)

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Tennis accused of 'turning a blind eye' to quarantine

While quarantine in Melbourne is capturing the headlines, players in Europe are becoming increasingly angry about the way self-isolation is being handled by tennis authorities.

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ATP Cup Preview: Will Thiem’s Team Emerge Victorious In Group C?

Third-seeded Austria is the headline act in Group C at the 2021 ATP Cup, which begins on 2 February in Melbourne. The second edition of the event features 12 countries competing across four groups, with the top teams from each group advancing to the knockout semi-finals.

Here is everything you need to know about Group C: who is playing, when they’ll hit the court and how to follow all the action.

Group C: Austria, Italy, France
Austria will attempt to reach the knockout stage at the ATP Cup for the first time, after finishing the inaugural edition of the event in 2020 with a 1-2 record. The third-seeded nation is led by US Open champion and World No. 3 Dominic Thiem, who will be aiming to carry his momentum from 2020 into the team competition. Thiem and fellow singles star Dennis Novak both ended last year’s event with one win from three matches. Doubles players Philipp Oswald and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn will make their tournament debuts this year.

Italy is one of four nations that boasts multiple Top 20 singles players in its line-up. World No. 10 Matteo Berrettini and World No. 17 Fabio Fognini will lead their nation in Group C. Berrettini, who is making his tournament debut this year, has won his most recent ATP Head2Head encounters against No. 1 singles rivals Thiem and Gael Monfils. Fognini finished the inaugural ATP Cup with a 3-2 record, but will hope to improve on his 1-2 singles mark when he faces Novak and Benoit Paire. Simone Bolelli, who partnered Fognini to two doubles wins at last year’s event, and Andrea Vavassori also feature for Italy.

After finishing their group in third position last year, Team France will have a point to prove at this year’s competition. Monfils leads his nation for the second straight year and will need to earn his first ATP Head2Head wins against Thiem (0-6) and Berrettini (0-1) if he is to improve his 1-1 tournament mark. No. 2 singles star Paire came within one point of a perfect 3-0 record at last year’s tournament, before falling in a final-set tie-break to Kevin Anderson. The 31-year-old owns a combined 4-2 record against No. 2 singles rivals Fognini and Novak. France’s roster also features one of the most experienced doubles teams in the competition, but Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin lost all three matches they played at the tournament last year. In a highly competitive group, the seven-time ATP Tour team titlists could decide France’s fate this year.

Meet The Group C Players

Three Group C Matches To Watch

Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
In the opening tie in Group C, Thiem and Berrettini will both aim to take a 3-2 lead in their ATP Head2Head rivalry. After Thiem won their first encounter at Roland Garros in 2018, the pair contested a trilogy of hard-court clashes at the end of the 2019 ATP Tour season. Berrettini claimed wins at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals and also pushed the Austrian deep into a third set at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. With only the group winners advancing to the semi-finals, an opening victory for Thiem or Berrettini could prove crucial to their nation’s title ambitions.

Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs Benoit Paire (FRA)
In one of the most intriguing matches of the ATP Cup group stage, Fognini and Paire will open the Day 2 clash between Italy and France. Both players have the talent and variety to produce great tennis and they proved that in their last ATP Head2Head meeting in Melbourne four years ago. Paire and Fognini battled for almost three-and-a-half hours in the 2017 Australian Open second round, before the Frenchman clinched a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win to record his third victory in four matches against Fognini. Paire and Fognini will both be eager to deliver a win and give their nation the opportunity to clinch the tie in the No. 1 singles match between Berrettini and Monfils.

Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs Gael Monfils (FRA)
Just 24 hours after his match against Thiem, Berrettini will return to John Cain Arena to face Monfils. The pair contested one of the most memorable matches of the 2019 US Open, when Berrettini dug deep to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory in just under four hours. The Italian struck 53 winners against Monfils — one of the fastest players on the ATP Tour — in that match and he will need to play with consistent aggression once again to earn another victory against the Frenchman. Monfils will aim to start the season strong for the second straight year when he faces the Italian in his first match of 2021. The 10-time ATP Tour titlist won 16 of his opening 19 matches in 2020, which included title runs in Montpellier and Rotterdam.

Where To Watch ATP Cup
TV Schedule

Group C Schedule 
View full group stage schedule

Tuesday, 2 February: Austria vs Italy
John Cain Arena – starts 10:00am
Dennis Novak vs Fabio Fognini
Followed by singles match
Dominic Thiem vs Matteo Berrettini
Followed by doubles match – Players TBC

Wednesday, 3 February: Italy vs France
John Cain Arena – starts 10:00am
Fabio Fognini vs Benoit Paire
Followed by singles match
Matteo Berrettini vs Gael Monfils
Followed by doubles match – Players TBC

Thursday, 4 February: Austria vs France
John Cain Arena – starts 10:00am
Dennis Novak vs Benoit Paire
Followed by singles match
Dominic Thiem vs Gael Monfils
Followed by doubles match – Players TBC

*Match schedule is subject to change in line with ATP rules and regulations

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