Wins from Andy Murray and the doubles duo of Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski secured Great Britain a 2-1 Davis Cup victory against Switzerland on Friday in Manchester.

Murray earned a marathon three-set win against Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi to earn Great Britain a 1-0 lead in the tie. Following the match, Murray shared that Friday was also the day of his grandmother’s funeral, which he was not able to attend.

“Gran, that one’s for you,” an emotional Murray said to close his on-court interview.

The Briton defeated Riedi 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4 in a three-hour, 10-minute marathon. Murray led 5-2 in the opening set and had two set points on return at 5-3, and a further two in the first-set tie-break, but he was forced to rescue the rubber from a set down to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead.

Murray broke twice in each of the final two sets to secure his 33rd Davis Cup singles win, hitting his third ace of the match to seal the victory.

“Incredible to get through that one. It easily could have gone the other way,” said Murray, who had prepared to face Dominic Sticker before learning an hour before the match that he would contest his first Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup against Riedi. “It was ridiculous, the shots he was pulling off. Amazing returning. I kept fighting, managed to stay focused and managed to turn it around.”

Stan Wawrinka levelled the tie with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Cameron Norrie, before Evans and Skupski clinched victory for the hosts with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Dominic Stricker and Wawrinka.

Great Britain defeated Australia 2-1 to open their Davis Cup Finals campaign on Wednesday and now improves to 2-0, topping Group B.

Italy edges Chile in Bologna

A pair of comeback, three-set singles wins saw Italy triumph against Chile. Matteo Arnaldi opened the tie with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against Cristian Garin, before Lorenzo Sonego secured the host nation’s win with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory against Nicolas Jarry.

The result leaves both Italy and Chile at 1-1 in Group A. Italy opened with an 0-3 defeat to Canada, while Chile swept Sweden 3-0 in its first tie.

World-class tennis is back in Queensland for 2024 with the return of the Brisbane International.

The combined ATP 250 and WTA 500 tournament will feature at the Queensland Tennis Centre from 31 December to 7 January.

A record AU$3.1 million in prize money is on offer and 180 of the world’s best players are expected to travel to the Sunshine State to compete.

The men’s singles draw features 32 players, with a 24-pair draw in both men’s and women’s doubles.

The women’s singles draw expands from the 32 of previous editions to 48, providing even more competitive opportunities for the top women in the sport.

Fans will be treated to 14 sessions (day and night) of top-quality tennis at the stunning Queensland Tennis Centre during the first week of January.

Early bird tickets will be available to purchase via Ticketmaster from 12 p.m. AEST on Wednesday 20 September. Adult ticket prices start from AU$25 and a family pass (two adults and two children) starts from AU$58. Kids go free on ground passes for the first two days of the tournament.

“We are delighted to welcome the Brisbane International back, bigger and better than ever in 2024,” Brisbane International Tournament Director Cam Pearson said.

“We know how much the players love playing the Brisbane International and starting the season in Queensland.

“Fans can look forward to eight days of high-quality international tennis, an expanded women’s draw, and 180 of the world’s best players competing for a big prize pool. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said “It’s terrific to see the much-anticipated return of the Brisbane International tournament to reignite Australia’s summer of tennis.

“Tennis fans love this blockbuster event, as much as the players love playing at Pat Rafter Arena.

“The event will also serve up a win for good Queensland jobs, with thousands of fans travelling to Brisbane from interstate and contributing AU$10 million to the visitor economy.

“This summer of tennis promises to be a winner for tennis fans and for Queensland.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the return of the Brisbane International is a ‘Grand Slam’ get for the city.

“We are thrilled to welcome back the Brisbane International 2024 to the Queensland Tennis Centre this summer,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Brisbane is set to come alive on and off the court as fans flock to watch this blockbuster sporting event featuring the world’s best players.

“With the tournament kicking off Australia’s summer of tennis, the eight days of action will inject millions into Brisbane’s local economy with hospitality, tourism and accommodation providers feeling the love from tennis fans across the nation.”

The Brisbane International was first held in 2009 at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Further announcements about the tournament and players will be made in due course.

Daniil Medvedev is known as one of tennis’ great on-court thinkers, so what would the World No. 3 do if given a clean slate to build his perfect player?

Opt for a little bit of everything, it seems. Medvedev mentioned eight players across 12 categories put to him by ATP Uncovered, including himself — although perhaps not in the category some might expect…

“Carlos is unbelievably fast, maybe the fastest I have seen,” said Medvedev, when debating whether to take his own speed around court ahead of Carlos Alcaraz. “Carlos is pure speed, but I love the way I run, so I’ll go with myself.”

The influence of the Big 3 is never far away. Medvedev selected each of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic more than once, but how did he merge them together to give his player an extra dose of greatness? And which elements of maverick talents Nick Kyrgios and Corentin Moutet does the 27-year-old consider must-haves?

Medvedev, one of the ATP Tour’s most humorous on-court stars, also discussed his famous match-winning celebrations. To learn what he said, watch the full video above.

Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell breathed fresh life into Australia’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage hopes on Thursday in Manchester, where the pair notched a deciding doubles victory to give their country a vital win against France.

Having lost their Group B opener 1-2 to host Great Britain, Australia was plunged into further trouble when Adrian Mannarino edged Purcell 7-6(4), 6-4 in the opening singles rubber of the tie. Alex de Minaur soon restored parity in the 17th Davis Cup tie between the two nations, however, moving past Ugo Humbert 7-6(2), 6-3.

That opened the door for Ebden and Purcell to clinch Australia’s first victory of the group and the pair did not let the opportunity slip. They defeated experienced doubles stars Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-5, 6-3 to complete a hard-earned comeback win in the tie.

🇦🇺 @MaxPurcell98 knows how to seal a tie 🔥 @DavisCup | #DavisCup | @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/R2s7QveVL4

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 14, 2023

“We were just inspired by our team,” said Ebden. “Yesterday was a tough day. Everyone fought hard. We came up short, but we got a point. Today we were down, up against it, backs against the wall. We went in the locker room and [Tony Roche] said, ‘That’s where we love to be, that’s where we want to fight from’.

“Alex de Minaur came out and did amazing first and we were just privileged to have the opportunity to come out and fight.”

Australia next faces Switzerland in its final group match as it chases a fifth appearance in the Davis Cup quarter-finals since 2015.

Czech Charge Continues In Valencia
The Czech Republic made it six rubbers played, six rubbers won in Group C as Tomas Machac and Jiri Lehecka completed singles victories on Thursday against South Korea.

The Czechs began their week by stunning host nation Spain 3-0 and they maintained that momentum to move to the brink of the Final 8. Machac had to overcome some difficult moments against Seongchan Hong but ultimately prevailed 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-2 before the World No. 30 Lehecka showed his class to ease past two-time ATP Tour titlist Soonwoo Kwon 6-1, 7-5.

#NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek then continued the Czech’s perfect start to the week in Spain by beating JiSung Nam and MinKyu Song 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the doubles rubber to wrap a 3-0 victory.

If Patrick Kypson ever feels pressure on court, his father Alan will jokingly tell the 23-year-old he does not know pressure.

While Kypson is battling on the ATP Challenger Tour, Alan faces a different type of pressure working as a cardiac surgeon in Raleigh, North Carolina, 20 minutes from the host site of the Atlantic Tire Championships, where Patrick is competing this week.

The American is soaking in this rare opportunity to play close to home. Kypson cruised through his opening-round match against Michael Geerts and was immediately met by family congratulating him.

“All of my family lives here. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, this is the only time they get to come out and watch me play throughout the entire year,” Kypson told ATPTour.com. “It’s cool to play in front of them. I get to sleep in my own bed, home-cooked meals, my mom is a good cook. You can’t beat it. It’s a little extra motivation for sure.

“My sister lives here too, she goes to college at UNC [University of North Carolina]. This is probably the first time she’s seen me play in three years.”

Kypson’s roots are in North Carolina. He grew up in Greenville, where World No. 13 Tommy Paul was also raised. A former Texas A&M University star, Kypson’s first private coach was Paul’s stepfather Randy Bailey. They trained on clay courts at Courtside Athletic Club, 90 minutes from Raleigh.

“It was pretty cool because me, Tommy, his sister [Jessie], a girl named Lauren Herring, she played at Georgia, came out of there,” Kypson said. “It was actually a pretty good turnout for a small club.”

The American started playing tennis at age eight and two years later, the Kypson family was racking up miles travelling to junior tournaments.

“We would always leave Thursday or Friday night after my dad’s work. I look back and it was such a grind driving all over the south and playing tennis tournaments every weekend,” Kypson said.

A former ITA All-American, Kypson attended Texas A&M because of a strong relationship he had with coaches Steve Denton and Kevin O’Shea. Kypson was in College Station for one year before turning pro. Kypson faced adversity when, due to injury, he was unable to play a full pro calendar for several years.

“[I had] elbow surgery, three or four abdominal tears, each one kept me out for three months,” Kypson said. “I would play, then tear it, three months of rehab. Just kind of always cycling, plus the elbow just wouldn’t get better. It was tough to get in a groove. I feel like the first year I played full on the Tour was when I came back from surgery last spring. It’s tough to play good tennis when you’re playing 12 events a year or less.”

The hard work has since paid off for Kypson, who in July captured his maiden ATP Challenger Tour in Medellin, Colombia, the hometown of his coach Alejandro Gonzalez. Medellin served as a second home for Kypson that week with Gonzalez’s family in attendance.

Patrick Kypson is crowned champion at the Challenger 50 event in Medellin, Colombia.” />
^{Patrick Kypson triumphs at the ATP Challenger Tour 50 event in Medellin, Colombia. Credit: Jumbo Open Rionegro} 

Australian Adam Walton grew up playing tennis alongside his older brother Jack. They would create ‘hectic’ Saturday schedules, starting the day practising tennis before playing cricket and rugby in the afternoons.

Their mother Sherry, who is a registered nurse, would often work night shifts and during the day would take the two boys to their activities. When Jack decided to take tennis more seriously, Adam followed in his footsteps.

A native of Home Hill, Walton received a scholarship to a Brisbane boarding school his final three years of high school before moving across the world to the University of Tennessee. Despite being more than 14,000 kilometres away from home, the 24-year-old has found success in the United States.

“I already lived away from my parents for a couple of years, so I felt ready to go to college and there were a couple Australians at Tennessee so that’s a big reason why I chose Tennessee,” Walton told ATPTour.com. “I knew the two Aussies on the team and I wanted to go somewhere where at least I knew someone. Tennessee is in the SEC [Southeastern Conference], which has very strong competition week in and week out, so it was a good pick for me.”

When Walton first arrived at Tennessee, he thought his tennis career would not go beyond college. A standout five years in which he earned ITA All-American honours and won more than 100 matches in singles and doubles changed his mind. Walton graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and then turned pro.

“The college route was definitely the way for me. I had a lot to learn, I was a little immature. I got a little bit better every year,” Walton said. “I was a pretty skinny kid and I was always definitely not good enough to try and play pro tournaments straightaway after high school.

“I was an established college player by the end of it and thought I should try it. I had some pretty decent success in the 15Ks straight off the bat and then kept pursuing, and got my ranking up inside 200 in 14, 15 months.”

Now in his first full season on the ATP Challenger Tour, Walton earned his biggest career title in August, when he won the Atlantic Tire Championships I in Cary, North Carolina. The Aussie defeated three of the Top 4 seeds and saved two championship points against Nicolas Moreno De Alboran to become the seventh different singles winner from the University of Tennessee in ATP Challenger Tour history.

Adam Walton wins the Challenger 75 event in Cary, North Carolina.” />
^{Adam Walton wins his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Cary, North Carolina. Credit: Alexis Galloway}
“I was on the back of my sixth tournament in a row. I didn’t actually know prior to the event where I was going to play, but I snuck in the main draw,” Walton said. “I guess all the stars aligned and I had an unbelievable week. It’ll be a week that I never forget.”

Still based out of Knoxville, one of the challenges Walton faces is finding time to speak with his family, including his mother Sherry and father Ashley, who works in the construction industry, because of the 14-hour time zone difference between Tennessee and home.

“It’s either real early in the mornings or late at night that you can talk, but you can’t talk during the day,” Walton said.

Despite adjusting to life as a pro and constantly being on the road, Walton is finding success. This week, he is in action at the Cary Challenger, where he boasts a six-match winning streak dating back to last month’s title run.

Tallon Griekspoor took the Netherlands to the brink of the Davis Cup Final 8 in dramatic circumstances on Thursday in Split, where he downed Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7(7), 7-6(3) to secure an upset win for his nation against the United States.

After Botic van de Zandschulp had eased past Tommy Paul 7-6(2), 6-2 to give the Netherlands an early lead in the Group D tie, Griekspoor avenged his loss to Tiafoe in Cincinnati last month with an inspired display against the World No. 11. The Dutchman let slip a match point at 5-4 in the deciding set but held his nerve impressively to claim a tie-break which ended when Tiafoe was given a point penalty for a code violation on match point.

“I just believed in myself,” said Griekspoor. “I stayed calm, still went after my shots like I did the whole match. That’s what paid off in the end, I think. I played a really good tie-break until 6/2, just kept going after it and kept believing and that’s what got me through in the end.”

It was a second singles win of the week for Griekspoor, who defeated Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori on Tuesday. The Netherlands has now won both its ties in Group D but will still have to wait until its final clash against host Croatia to confirm its spot in the Final 8 for the second consecutive year. Doubles pair Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop can boost their country’s position further on Thursday evening by overcoming Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram to complete a sweep against the United States.

Canada Surge Continues In Bologna
Vasek Pospisil and Gabriel Diallo maintained Canada’s perfect start in Group A with a singles victory apiece against Sweden to move the defending champion to the brink of the Final 8.

Pospisil overcame Leo Borg 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-2 to set the North Americans on course in Bologna, before Gabriel Diallo notched his second win of the week with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Elias Ymer. It marked a first victory for Canada in three Davis Cup meetings with seven-time winner Sweden.

Diallo’s triumph against Ymer was another impressive result for the World No. 158, who defeated Lorenzo Sonego for his first Davis Cup match win on Wednesday. The 21-year-old backed up that result up by converting three of his six break points against Ymer to secure Canada’s fifth straight rubber of the week. Alexis Galarneau and Pospisil will try to make that six in the doubles later on Thursday, when they take on Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson.