Nakashima’s perfect week helps USA top group in Zhuhai

Brandon Nakashima continued his 2024 resurgence in style on Saturday in Zhuhai.

The 23-year-old completed a perfect week of singles action for the USA in the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph against Maximilian Marterer. With his 86-minute win, Nakashima helped his country earn a 2-1 victory against Marterer’s Germany, simultaneously ensuring the USA a first-place finish in Group C and a seeding at November’s knockout stage.

Job done ✅

United States defeat Germany 2-1 to top group C in commanding fashion!#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/3kk4na2cOk

"Each person on this team brings great value,” said Nakashima, who dropped just one set across his three wins this week. “We all like to bring out the best in each other and to really enjoy every second out there on the court and off the court as well. I’m really happy with everyone’s performance this week and to all the staff and all the players, I really appreciate all their hard work.

“I think we have a good chance against any team there [in Malaga]. There’s a bunch of talented Americans playing really well right now. Whoever is going to be on the team will give us a great shot against any other team out there, so it’s definitely an exciting time for American tennis and I’m really looking forward to it.”

After a difficult 2023, the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Nakashima began this year as the World No. 134. He has rediscovered his form in recent months, however, and was competing for USA this week at a career-high No. 40 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Reilly Opelka set USA on its way on Saturday in China with a 6-7(4), 7-6(9), 6-3 triumph against Henri Squire in the opening singles rubber. The 32-time Davis Cup champion was unable to make it a hat-trick of 3-0 wins in Group C, however, after Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz downed Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram 6-1, 7-6(4) in the doubles rubber.

“We knew we were going to the next stage in Malaga, but we used [the chance to achieve] a better seeding as our motivation to try and win today,” said Opelka.

Despite defeat on Saturday, Germany will join USA in the Davis Cup Final 8 thanks to victories earlier this week against Slovakia and Chile. The knockout stage of the 2024 edition of the teams’ event will take place in Malaga, Spain from 19-24 November.

In Group D, Argentina clinched its tie against Finland with wins from Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Francisco Cerundolo to pick up its second Davis Cup victory in Manchester.

Etcheverry won 78 per cent of his first-serve points against Eero Vasa en route to a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory. The 25-year-old has won back-to-back singles victories at the Davis Cup after he defeated Great Britain’s Daniel Evans earlier in the week.

Cerundolo rallied back to defeat Otto Virtanen 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-0, converting five of his 11 break point opportunities. The No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings also saved four break points as he closed out the match in one hour, 45 minutes.

In Group A, Brazil sealed its tie against Belgium in Bologna to keep alive its hopes of making the Final 8. But it's fate rests in the hands of The Netherlands, which will join Italy in Malaga should it defeat the defending champion Sunday, or it it avoids a 3-0 loss.

#NextGenATP teen Joao Fonseca, who made his Davis Cup debut earlier this week against Italy, claimed a 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 win over Raphael Collignon to secure consecutive wins following his straight-set victory over Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday.

The 18-year-old, who currently sits sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, hit 19 winners and seven aces as he battled past 22-year-old Collignon in one hour, 51 minutes. 

30-year-old Thiago Monteiro outlasted Zizou Bergs, recovering from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 in two hours, 44 minutes. The tight match was underlined by the narrow points totals, with Monteiro winning just one less point than his opponent.

Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen earned a point for Belgium with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Felipe Meligeni Alves and Rafael Matos.

In Group B, France secured its tie against Czechia in Valencia.

#NextGenATP talent Jakub Mensik got Czechia off to a successful start by rallying back against Arthur Rinderknech 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the opening singles match. The 19-year-old, who sits fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, fired 14 aces to win in two hours, two minutes. He lost his previous singles match to Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis on Thursday.

In the following singles match, #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils leveled the tie by defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4. The 20-year-old, playing his third singles match this week, sits atop the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah. He hit 13 aces and 16 winners to win against the 22-year-old Czech.

The doubles match between France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Rinderknech and Czechia’s Mensik and Adam Pavlasek decided the tie. The Frenchmen defeated their opponents 7-6 (4), 7-5. The pair needed a single break point to win the contest in one hour, 27 minutes.

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