Taylor Fritz fired the United States closer to the Davis Cup Finals knock-out stage on Thursday, defeating Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-3 to give the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead against Kazakhstan.

The United States won its opening Group D tie in Glasgow against Great Britain in the early hours of Wednesday morning and backed that up with a comfortable victory against Kazakhstan. In the first match of the tie, Tommy Paul proved too strong for Mikhail Kukushkin. The World No. 29 cruised past the 34-year-old 6-1, 6-4 in 87 minutes, before Fritz finished the job.

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Kecmanovic Seals Serbia’s Win Against South Korea
Miomir Kecmanovic overcame Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 6-3 in Valencia to keep Serbia’s Davis Cup qualification chances alive in Group B.

The World No. 33 saved all four break points he faced to triumph after 81 minutes, moving Serbia into a 2-0 lead against South Korea. Kecmanovic has improved his ATP Head2Head series record against the 24-year-old to 2-0.

In the first match of the tie, Dusan Lajovic dispatched Seong-chan Hong 6-4, 6-0. The former champion lost its opening Group B tie against Spain, but could qualify for November’s knock-out stages with victory against Canada.

Australia Edges France
Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell defeated Nicolas Mahut and Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4 in the deciding doubles rubber to earn Australia a 2-1 win against France in Hamburg.

Richard Gasquet downed Jason Kubler 6-2, 6-4 to give France a 1-0 lead before Alex de Minaur clawed past Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in two hours and 10 minutes to level the tie. Australia has now won its opening two round-robin matches.

What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will take place across four cities – Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia – from 13-18 September. The 16 nations will compete in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage will take place in Malaga from 22-27 November.

Portugal’s Nuno Borges might just celebrate making his Top 100 debut by putting to use one of his biggest passions outside of tennis.

“I like to bake cakes,” Borges told ATPTour.com “I think I got that from my mom, I used to help her when I was young and I guess I still have that in me, it’s a side of me that not many people know about.”

After a second consecutive standout year on the ATP Challenger Tour, Borges found himself knocking on the door of the Top 100 on the eve of the US Open. Then at Flushing Meadows, the 25-year-old advanced through qualifying before reaching the second round, a run that lifted him to World No. 93 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The Maia native is just the sixth Portuguese player to win a Grand Slam main-draw match in men’s singles and the fourth Portuguese player to crack the Top 100 in the past decade, joining Joao Sousa, Pedro Sousa, and Gastao Elias (in 2016, Joao Sousa reached the highest ranking in Portuguese tennis history when he climbed to a career-high No. 28).

Borges ousted fellow college standout Ben Shelton at the US Open in a five-set opening round thriller, 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-7(8), 6-3. The Portuguese boasted a prominent career at Mississippi State University, including a 31-match winning streak before falling short in the 2019 NCAA Singles Championship (l. Jubb). Shelton, 19, claimed the 2022 NCAA singles title and announced his decision to turn professional this summer.

“I grew so much throughout those four years [in college],” Borges said. “I developed a lot physically and mentally, not having mom and dad to help you out all the time was good. It helped create a sense of responsibility and accountability towards myself and my teammates.

“Sometimes not just thinking about myself, but playing for something greater keeps you on your toes the whole time. Playing every match with everything I have, that’s the best thing college brought me.”

Borges, who turned professional in 2019, has qualified for three Grand Slam main draws this season: Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. To his surprise, the professional success came rather quickly.

“[It’s came] so fast, a lot of first things happening really close to each other,” Borges said. “Like first qualies at a Slam, first main draw, first Davis Cup, even a couple years ago, my first Challenger main-draw and winning a couple Challenger matches. I never expected it. You set yourself a goal maybe medium-term but I’m going pretty fast on those goals and I’m really grateful. I’m very happy with where I’m at now and wouldn’t change it for anything.”

In 2021, Borges reached three ATP Challenger Tour finals, including in Antalya, Turkey, where he collected his first Challenger title (d. Peniston). This season, he was crowned champion at the Barletta Challenger (d. Zekic) in April. As he drew closer to cracking the Top 100 this summer, Borges admitted that he would sometimes check and see how close he was to his goal.

“I usually don’t check [the rankings] at all,” Borges said. “The past couple months, I would check more than usual, I’m not going to lie. But it wasn’t the most obsessive thing in my head, I was just trying to play my tennis.

“I wanted to be Top 100 and it’s the number that other people put in their head as a huge mark. Thankfully, when I was at the US Open, I didn’t even worry much about it, such a big tournament and event, I think that’s what helped. I got my head distracted with all that was going on throughout the Grand Slam, enjoying the moment, grinding like crazy and somehow made it. It’s like a dream come true.”

Nuno Borges captured his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Barletta, Italy in April 2022. Credit: Open Citta Della Disfida

The two-time Challenger titlist, boasting a 26-14 match-record at the Challenger level this season, believes the ATP Challenger Tour has been a vital part of his pathway to the Top 100.

“I think the Challenger Tour is a little undervalued because a lot of the ATP players have to go through it and a lot of them spend years on the Challenger Tour, not getting through it. It’s a very tough circuit,” Borges said.

“A lot of players deserve more credit than what they get because they’re still incredible players. Someone around 300 is still just as good as the guy who is 130 or 120. Anything can happen there. I think it’s essential to have the Challenger Tour and these tournaments are what prepare us for what’s next.”

Borges is due to represent his home country in the Davis Cup World Group I clash against Brazil, which starts 16 September. He is scheduled to play the second singles match against Thiago Monteiro and will also pair up with Francisco Cabral in Saturday’s doubles match.

Earlier this season, Borges and Cabral went on a 17-match winning streak across all levels in which they collected three Challenger doubles titles and their maiden Tour-level crown at the ATP 250 event in Estoril. In 2021, the duo dominated the Challenger doubles circuit, securing a Challenger Tour season-leading six titles.

“Francisco and I have good chemistry. We’ve known each other for a long time, I think I have the first memory of us at like nine or 10,” Borges said. “We have a lot of experience together and we’ve just developed what we have throughout the years. We started at Futures, we were working pretty well, that’s when we were like, ‘Okay, we can keep going!’”

After Portugal hosts the Davis Cup tie, Borges will stay on home soil as he competes at the ATP Challenger 80 event in Braga.

Roger Federer announced his upcoming retirement at the Laver Cup on Thursday in a letter. The Swiss’ voiceover of that letter and the text, in full, are below.

To my tennis family and beyond,

With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022

To my tennis family and beyond,

Of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way: my friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with you all.

As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it’s time to end my competitive career.

The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the Tour.

This is a bittersweet decision because I will miss everything the Tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.

I would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka, who has lived through every minute with me. She has warmed me up before finals, watched countless matches even while over eight-months pregnant, and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years. I also want to thank my four wonderful children for supporting me, always eager to explore new places and creating wonderful memories along the way. Seeing my family cheering me on from the stands is a feeling I will cherish forever.

I would also like to thank and recognise my loving parents and my dear sister, without whom nothing would be possible. A big thank you to all my former coaches who always guided me in the right direction… you have been wonderful! And to Swiss Tennis, who believed in me as a young player and gave me an ideal start.

I really want to thank and acknowledge my amazing team, Ivan, Dani, Roland, and particularly Seve and Pierre, who have given me the best advice and have always been there for me. Also Tony, for creatively managing my business for over 17 years. You are all incredible and I have loved every minute with you.

I want to thank my loyal sponsors, who are really like partners to me; and the hard-working teams and tournaments on the ATP Tour, who consistently welcomed all of us with kindness and hospitality.

I would also like to thank my competitors on the court. I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget. We battled fairly, with passion an intensity, and I always tried me best to respect the history of the game. I feel extremely grateful. We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels.

Above all I must offer a special thank you to my unbelievable fans. You will never know how much strength and belief you have given me. The inspiring feeling of walking into full stadiums and arenas has been one of the huge thrills in my life. Without you, those successes would have felt lonely, rather than filled with joy and energy.

The last 24 years on Tour have been an incredible adventure. While it sometimes feels like it went by in 24 hours, it has also been so deep and magical that it seems as if I’ve already lived a full lifetime. I have had the immense fortune to play in front of you in over 40 different countries. I have laughed and cried, felt joy and pain, and most of all I have felt incredibly alive. Through my travels, I have met many wonderful people who will remain friends for life, who consistently took time out of their busy schedules to come watch me play and cheer me on around the globe. Thank you.

When my love of tennis started, I was a ball kid in my hometown of Basel. I used to watch the players with a sense of wonder. They were like giants to me and I began to dream. My dreams led me to work harder and I started to believe in myself. Some success brought me confidence and I was on my way to the most amazing journey that has led to this day.

So, I want to than you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true.

Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.

Roger Federer