Russians run way with Davis Cup championship

Daniil Medvedev, practicing in Indian Wells in
October, won all five of his Davis Cup singles
matches in straight sets. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev carried the Russian Tennis Federation to its first Davis Cup championship in 15 years today.

   Medvedev and Rublev — ranked No. 2 and No. 5 in singles, respectively — won in straight sets again to clinch a victory over Croatia, the 2018 champion, in Madrid. Croatia played in its third Davis Cup final in five years.

   Rublev defeated No. 279 Borna Gojo 6-4, 7-6 (5), giving the RTF a 1-0 lead. Medvedev followed with a 7-6 (7), 6-2 win over No. 30 Marin Cilic in a matchup of U.S. Open champions. Cilic and Medvedev won at Flushing Meadows in 2014 and this year, respectively.

   The scheduled doubles match, top-ranked Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic of Croatia against Aslan Karatsev and Rublev, was canceled.

   The RTF lost only one live match in five ties during the Davis Cup as Medvedev, 25, and Rublev, 24, went 9-1 combined in singles. Medvedev, who has a freakish combination of size (6-foot-6 or 1.98 meters) and agility, won all five of his singles matches in straight sets.

   Rublev played in the 2015 Aptos Challenger in Northern California at 17, losing to former No. 2 Tommy Haas in the first round. Rublev was 9 when Russia won the 2006 Davis Cup with Dmitry Tursunov, a Moscow native who trained in NorCal as a junior and professional.

   Croatia was missing former world No. 12 Borna Coric, who had shoulder surgery in May.

Russians rout Germany to reach Davis Cup title match

Daniil Medvedev, practicing in Indian Wells in October,
clinched the Russian Tennis Federation's victory over
Germany today in Madrid. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Without Alexander Zverev, Germany was no match for the Russian Tennis Federation.

   Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev — ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively — needed less than two hours combined to clinch the Russians' 2-1 victory today in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

   Rublev overwhelmed No. 54 Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-0 in 48 minutes to give the RTF a 1-0 lead. Medvedev, who won his first Grand Slam title in the U.S. Open in September, followed with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in 66 minutes.

   Germany won the inconsequential doubles match. The third-ranked Zverev, the singles gold medalist in the Tokyo Olympics and recent ATP Finals champion, boycotted the Davis Cup because of the format change two years ago.

   Both Rublev and Koepfer have played in Northern California Challengers. At 17, Rublev lost in the first round in Aptos to former No. 2 Tommy Haas in 2015. Koepfer reached finals in San Francisco in 2018 and Aptos in 2019.

   The RTF, seeking its first Davis Cup title since 2006 with Dmitry Tursunov, will face 2018 champion Croatia on Sunday at 7 a.m. PST (CBSSN). The Russians likely must sweep the singles matches again versus No. 30 Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, and No. 243 Nino Serdarusic or No. 279 Borna Gojo because Croatia has the top-ranked doubles pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.

   Croatia is missing former world No. 12 Borna Coric, who had shoulder surgery in May.

   Juniors — Rudy Quan of Sacramento, Calif., and Kristina Penickova of Campbell in the San Francisco Bay Area breezed to singles titles in the Eddie Herr International Championships in Bradenton, Fla.

   Quan, a wild card, crushed unseeded Lorenzo Carboni of Italy 6-0, 6-1 in the boys 16-and-unders. Penickova, seeded No. 3, routed No. 5 seed Anita Tu of Melbourne, Fla., 6-1, 6-2 in the girls 12s.

   Quan won the 12s in the Easter Bowl, national Clay Courts, national Hardcourts and Junior Orange Bowl in 2018 but missed most of 2019 with a stress fracture in his elbow. COVID wiped out much of 2020.

   In the boys 18 doubles final, No. 4 seeds Aleksander Orlikowsky and Olaf Pieczkowski of Poland beat wild cards Benjamin Kittay of Potomac, Md., and Michael Zheng, a Stanford commit from Montville, N.J., 7-5, 6-4. 

   USTA — No. 1 seeds Tracie Currie of Ventura, Calif., and Francesca La O of San Francisco beat No. 4 seeds Colleen Clery Ferrell and Hiromi Sasano of San Diego 6-3, 6-4 to take third place in women's doubles in the National 40 Hard Court Championships in La Jolla, Calif. 

Croatia downs Djokovic, Serbia in Davis Cup semifinals

Novak Djokovic won in singles but lost in doubles today.
2019 photo by Harjanto Sumali

   The top-ranked doubles pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic lifted Croatia to a 2-1 victory over Serbia, featuring singles No. 1 Novak Djokovic, today in Madrid in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Finals.

   Mektic and Pavic, the reigning Wimbledon champions, defeated Djokovic and Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-1 in the deciding match.

   Borna Gojo had beaten Dusan Lajovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to give Croatia a 1-0 lead. Djokovic pulled Serbia even with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open winner. Djokovic saved all eight break points against him, including four while serving for the first set at 5-4, and improved to 18-2 in the head-to-head series. 

   Gojo helped Wake Forest win its first NCAA team title and reached the singles final in 2018. Later that year, Croatia captured its first Davis Cup championship.

   Croatia will face the winner of Saturday's semifinal between the Russian Tennis Federation and Germany (live stream at 4 a.m. PST on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.) in Madrid on Sunday at 7 a.m. (CBSSN).

   The Russians have two of the top five singles players in the world, No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and No. 5 Andrey Rublev. Germany, meanwhile, is playing without No. 3 Alexander Zverev. The singles gold medalist in the Tokyo Olympics and recent ATP Finals champion boycotted the Davis Cup because of the format change two years ago.

   Juniors — Wild cards Benjamin Kittay of Potomac, Md., and Michael Zheng, a Stanford commit from Montville, N.J., beat unseeded Gianluca Ballotta of Peru and Leanid Boika of Delray Beach, Fla., 6-1, 6-4 in the boys 18-and-under semifinals in the Eddie Herr International Championships in Bradenton, Fla.

   Kittay and Zheng are set to face No. 4 seeds Aleksander Orlikowsky and Olaf Pieczkowski of Poland on Saturday.

   Meanwhile, Rudy Quan of Sacramento, Calif., and Kristina Penickova of Campbell in the San Francisco Bay Area reached singles finals without completing their matches.

   Quan, a wild card, advanced by walkover against No. 2 seed Rei Sakamoto of Japan in the boys 16s. Penickova, seeded No. 3, defeated No. 11 Ana Avramovic of Orlando, Fla., 6-1, 3-0, retired in the girls 12s.

   Quan is scheduled to meet unseeded Lorenzo Carboni of Italy on Saturday. Carboni, who ousted No. 1 seed Juan David of Naples, Fla., in the quarterfinals, eliminated unseeded Andrew Delgado of High Point, N.C., 6-1, 7-6 (1). 

   Penickova is set to play No. 5 seed Anita Tu of Melbourne, Fla., on Saturday. Tu ousted No. 1 seed Lia Belibova of Moldova 6-4, 6-4.

Russians eliminate ex-Cal star, Sweden from Davis Cup

Daniil Medvedev, practicing in Indian Wells in Octo-
ber, clinched the Russian Tennis Federation's 2-0
win over Sweden today. Photo by Paul Bauman

   The Russian Tennis Federation, with two of the top five singles players in the world, clinched a victory over Sweden today before ex-University of California, Berkeley star Andre Goransson could get on the court in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals.

   Fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev edged Elias Ymer 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (3) in Madrid to give the Russians a 1-0 lead. Second-ranked Daniil Medvedev, who won his first Grand Slam title in the U.S. Open in September, then beat Ymer's younger brother, Mikael, 6-4, 6-4 in the best-of-three-match competition.

   Goransson's doubles match was canceled.

   The Russian Tennis Federation will face Germany, playing without third-ranked Alexander Zverev, on Saturday at 4 a.m. PST (live stream on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.) in Madrid. The Russians seek their first Davis Cup title since 2006, with Dmitry Tursunov, and the Germans their first since 1993.

   In the other semifinal, Novak Djokovic and 2010 champion Serbia will play 2018 titlist Croatia, featuring the top-ranked doubles pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, on Friday at 7 a.m. (CBSSN) in Madrid.

   Juniors — No. 2 seed Viacheslav Bielinskyi of Ukraine defeated wild card Michael Zheng, a Stanford commit from Montville, N.J., 6-2, 6-4 in the third round of the boys 18-and-under division in the Eddie Herr International Championships in Bradenton, Fla.

   Wild cards Zheng and Benjamin Kittay of Potomac, Md., reached the doubles semifinals.

   Meanwhile, wild card Rudy Quan of Sacramento, Calif., and No. 3 seed Kristina Penickova of Campbell, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area advanced to the singles semifinals in the boys 16s and girls 12s, respectively.

Djokovic lifts Serbia in Davis Cup; Konta retires at 30

Novak Djokovic and Serbia will face Croatia in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Finals
in Madrid. 2017 photo by Mal Taam

   Novak Djokovic won in singles and doubles to give Serbia a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan today in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid.

   Djokovic, ranked No. 1, outclassed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4 to pull Serbia even at 1-1, then teamed with Nikola Cacic in a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov. 

   In the opening match, 33-year-old Mikhail Kukushkin edged 22-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (11) in 3 hours, 17 minutes. Kecmanovic, a semifinalist in the 2018 San Francisco Challenger at age 18, served for the match in the third set.

   Bublik and Kukushkin reached the final of the Aptos Challenger in Northern California in different years. The 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Bublik won the title at age 20 in 2017, beating Liam Broady of Great Britain, and Kukushkin lost to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in 2014.

   Serbia, the 2010 champion, will face 2018 titlist Croatia, featuring top-ranked doubles pair Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, on Friday in Madrid.

   In the other semifinal in Madrid, Germany will play the winner of Thursday's tie between the Russian Tennis Federation, with second-ranked Daniil Medvedev and fifth-ranked Andrey Rublev, and Sweden, including Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2014-17) on Saturday.

   WTA — Johanna Konta of Great Britain announced her retirement at 30. Konta won four WTA singles titles, including the 2016 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford, and peaked at No. 4 in 2017.

   Juniors — Wild card Michael Zheng, a Stanford commit from Montville, N.J., defeated No. 15 seed Gerard Lee of South Korea 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the second round of the boys 18-and-under division in the Eddie Herr International Championships in Bradenton, Fla.

   Zheng also advanced to the doubles quarterfinals, teaming with Benjamin Kittay of Potomac, Md., to edge No. 7 seeds Bor Artnak and Sebastian Dominko of Slovenia 7-6 (5), 4-6 [11-9].

   In the second round of girls 18 singles, Mao Mushika of Japan eliminated No. 14 seed Alexis Blokhina, a Stanford commit from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 6-0, 1-0, retired.

   Wild card Rudy Quan of Sacramento, Calif., and No. 3 seed Kristina Penickova of Campbell, Calif., reached the singles quarterfinals in the boys 16s and girls 12s, respectively.

Germany tops Great Britain in Davis Cup thriller

   Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz came through again.

   The doubles pair won a dramatic match today to give Germany a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Innsbruck, Austria. The match was played in isolation because of Austria's COVID lockdown.

   Krawietz and Puetz gutted out a 7-6 (10), 7-6 (5) victory over Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski after saving four set points in the first-set tiebreaker and rallying from 0-5 in the second-set tiebreaker. Krawietz and Puetz have won the deciding match in all three of Germany's ties.

   Jan-Lennard Struff set up the deciding match with a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-2 win over Cameron Norrie, last month's shocking Indian Wells champion.

   Earlier toay, Daniel Evans routed Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 6-1 to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead. Gojowczyk, ranked No. 86, played in place of Dominik Koepfer, ranked No. 54.

   Germany, playing without Olympic gold medalist and ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, will face either the Russian Tennis Federation, featuring U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, or Sweden, with Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2014-17), in Madrid.

   Croatia, the 2018 champion, will play either Serbia, featuring Novak Djokovic, or Kazakhstan.

Croatia defeats Italy in Davis Cup quarterfinals

Italian star Jannik Sinner, serving in Indian Wells last month, won in singles
but lost in doubles today against Croatia. Photo by Paul Bauman 

   Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, the top doubles team in the world, lifted Croatia to a 2-1 victory over Italy today in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.

   Mektic and Pavic, this year's Wimbledon champions, defeated Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4 in the deciding match in Turin, Italy. 

   Borna Gojo, the 2018 NCAA singles runner-up while at Wake Forest, had beaten Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-2 to give Croatia, the Davis Cup champion that year, a 1-0 lead. 

   Jannik Sinner, ranked No. 10 at age 20, made it 1-1 with a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Marin Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open titlist.

   Sinner reached the second round of the 2019 Aptos (Calif.) Challenger at 17 after winning the Lexington (Ky.) Challenger the previous week.

   Italy played without seventh-ranked Matteo Berrettini (abdominal muscle), and Croatia is missing former world No. 12 Borna Coric (shoulder surgery).

   Croatia will face either Serbia, featuring Novak Djokovic, or Kazakhstan. In the other quarterfinals:

   —The Russian Tennis Federation, with U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, will meet Sweden, including Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2011-14).

   —Germany, minus Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev, will play 2015 champion Great Britain, led by Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie, who won Tiburon and Stockton back-to-back in 2018 Northern California Challengers.

   Juniors — No. 9 seed Daria Smetannikov of Morganville, N.J., beat unseeded Gayathri Krishnan of Cupertino, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-1 to win the girls 18-and-under title in the USTA National Indoor Championships in Indianapolis.

   In Bradenton, Fla., No. 14 seed Alexis Blokhina, a Stanford commit from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., outlasted Kayla Cross of Canada 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round of the 18s in the Eddie Herr International Championships.

Colombia eliminates U.S. from Davis Cup Finals

Jack Sock of the United States retired from the decisive doubles match
against Colombia in the Davis Cup Finals. 2017 photo by Paul Bauman

   Jack Sock retired in the decisive doubles match as Colombia eliminated the United States 2-1 today in Turin, Italy, in the Davis Cup Finals.

   The U.S. finished 0-2 in the Finals, and Colombia went 1-1, also failing to advance. 

   In the doubles rubber, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah led Reilly Opelka and Sock 2-0 in the first set when Sock retired with an undisclosed injury.

   Frances Tiafoe had given the U.S. a 1-0 lead with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7) victory over Nicolas Mejia. Tiafoe, a late addition to the team, saved two match points in the tiebreaker. Daniel Elahi Galan, ranked No. 111, then edged No. 24 John Isner 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

   In the quarterfinals, the Russian Tennis Federation will play Sweden, with Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2014-17); 2015 champion Great Britain will face Germany; Italy will meet 2018 titlist Croatia; and Serbia, featuring Novak Djokovic, will play Kazakhstan.

   World TeamTennis — The second-seeded Orange County Breakers beat the top-seeded Springfield (Mo.) Lasers 21-13 in the WTT Finals in Indian Wells, Calif. 

   Orange County (9-4) led 15-5 after three sets. Springfield's Giuliana Olmos, a product of Fremont in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Marcelo Arevalo, this year's U.S. Open mixed doubles finalists, routed Desirae Krawczyk and Austin Krajicek 5-1 in mixed doubles to cut the Breakers' lead to 16-10. Krawczyk and Tatiana Maria then topped Asia Muhammad and Olmos 5-3 in women's doubles.

   The Lasers were seeking their third WTT crown in four seasons. Orange County's Steve Johnson was named the WTT season MVP. 

Ex-Cal star, Sweden lose in Davis Cup round-robin play

Sweden's Andre Goransson, above, and Robert Lindstedt starred at Northern
California universities. 2015 photo by Paul Bauman

   Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov defeated Andre Goransson and Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 6-3 in 67 minutes today to give Kazakhstan a 2-1 victory over Sweden in Madrid in the round-robin stage of the Davis Cup Finals.

   Kazakhstan is 1-0 and Sweden 1-1.

   Both Goransson and Lindstedt starred at Northern California universities. Goransson, 27, played at the University of California, Berkeley from 2014 to 2017 and Lindstedt, 44, at Fresno State from 1995 to 1997 before transferring to Pepperdine.

   In Innsbruck, Austria, Germany edged Serbia 2-1 as Novak Djokovic won in singles and narrowly lost in doubles. Djokovic outplayed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 6-4 and teamed with Nikola Cacic in a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (5) loss to Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.

   Germany is 1-0 and Serbia 1-1.

   Italy (2-0) reached the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over Colombia (0-1) in Turin, Italy.

Home cookin': Italy defeats U.S. in Davis Cup opener

Jannik Sinner, playing in Indian Wells last month,
crushed John Isner 6-2, 6-0 in 68 minutes today in
Turin, Italy. Photo by Paul Bauman

   The United States had the experience and height, but Italy had the homecourt advantage.

   Lorenzo Sonego and Jannik Sinner, making their Davis Cup debuts, won in straight sets today as Italy defeated the United States 2-1 in a round-robin opener in the Finals in Turin.

  Sonego, playing in his hometown, gave Italy a 1-0 lead with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) Reilly Opelka.

   Jannik Sinner, ranked No. 10 at age 20, then crushed 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) John Isner 6-2, 6-0 in 68 minutes to clinch the overall win.

   All but Sonego played in Northern California Challengers early in their careers.

   Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock defeated Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (5), 6-2. Ram and Musetti made their Davis Cup debuts at 37 and 19, respectively.

   Meanwhile, Serbia and defending (2019) champion Spain won 3-0. Serbia's Novak Djokovic dominated Austria's Dennis Novak 6-3, 6-2 in 58 minutes in Innsbruck. Spain, playing without Rafael Nadal, overwhelmed Ecuador in Madrid.

   World TeamTennis — The Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, with San Francisco Bay Area product Giuliana Olmos, beat the San Diego Aviators 23-16 in Indian Wells, Calif., to clinch the regular-season crown.

   As the top seed in the WTT Finals on Sunday at 3 p.m. (Tennis Channel) in Indian Wells, Springfield (8-3) will choose the order of play against the second-place Orange County Breakers (7-4). The Lasers seek their third WTT title in four years.

Ex-Cal star helps Sweden romp in Davis Cup opener

Andre Goransson, left, and former University of California, Berkeley teammate Florian
Lakat play doubles in the 2015 Tiburon (Calif.) Challenger. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Sweden, with former University of California, Berkeley star Andre Goransson, got off to a sizzling start in the Davis Cup Finals today.

   But there was a catch.

   The Swedes won all three matches against Canada, the runner-up to Spain in the last (2019) Davis Cup, without dropping a set in a round-robin opener in Madrid.

   The Canadians played without their top three singles competitors: No. 11 Felix Auger-Aliassime, No. 14 Denis Shapovalov and No. 70 Milos Raonic (formerly No. 3).

   Brothers Elias and Mikael Ymer won their singles matches, losing no more than four games in a set, to clinch the overall victory. Goransson (Cal, 2014-17) and 44-year-old Robert Lindstedt (Fresno State, 1995-97) then beat Vasek Pospisil, the singles runner-up in the 2017 San Francisco Challenger, and Brayden Schnur 7-6 (5), 6-4.

   Also today, 2018 champion Croatia blanked Australia 3-0 in Turin, Italy, and 2017 titlist France defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in Innsbruck, Austria.

   The United States — with John Isner, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram — is set to open Friday against Italy, featuring No. 10 Jannik Sinner, in Turin, Italy. Both teams will be without their top singles player: No. 7 Matteo Berrettini of Italy and No. 23 Taylor Fritz.

   The top two players in the world — Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Russia's Daniil Medvedev, respectively — are scheduled to compete. But No. 3 Alexander Zverev, who won the ATP Finals last week, is not on the German team.

   The tournament consists of 18 teams in six round-robin groups competing in Madrid, Turin and Innsbruck. Because of Austria's COVID lockdown, the Innsbruck matches are being played without fans.

   The group winners plus the two second-place teams with the most sets and games won will advance to the quarterfinals. Madrid will host two quarterfinals, and Turin and Innsbruck one each. The semifinals and Dec. 5 final will take place in the Spanish capital.

   ATP Challenger Tour — No. 2 seed Daniel Altmeier of Germany dispatched Govind Nanda, a 20-year-old qualifier from Carmichael, Calif., in the Sacramento area, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the $52,080 Puerto Vallarta (Mexico) Challenger.

   Altmeier advanced to the round of 16 in last year's French Open as a qualifier in his first Grand Slam tournament.

   In the Puerto Vallarta doubles quarterfinals, Gijs Brouwer of the Netherlands and Reese Stalder of Costa Mesa, Calif., in the Los Angeles region eliminated third-seeded Christian Harrison of Bradenton, Fla., and Dennis Novikov of San Jose, Calif., 6-3, 6-4.

   World TeamTennis — The Springfield (Mo.) Lasers (7-3), with San Francisco Bay Area product Giuliana Olmos, and Orange County Breakers (7-4) will meet in the WTT Finals on Sunday at 3 p.m. PST (Tennis Channel) in Indian Wells, Calif.

   Springfield needs one victory in its two remaining matches to win the regular-season crown and earn the top seed in the WTT Finals. The top seed will choose the order of play, a significant advantage.

   Indian Wells is hosting all matches in the two-week season.

Fed Cup, Davis Cup Finals postponed until 2021

   The Fed Cup and Davis Cup Finals have been postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Tennis Federation announced Friday.
   The 12-team Fed Cup Finals, originally scheduled for April, were pushed back to April 13-18, 2021, in Budapest, Hungary.
   The 18-team Davis Cup Finals, which had been set for Nov. 23-29, were postponed until Nov. 22-28, 2021, in Madrid.
   Combined ATP and WTA events are scheduled for Madrid (Sept. 14-20) and Rome (Sept. 21-27) before the French Open (Sept. 27-Oct. 11).
   "I was really looking forward to (the Davis Cup Finals)," tweeted 22-year-old Taylor Fritz, ranked 24th in the world and second in the United States behind No. 21 John Isner. "I don't really understand how we are playing in Madrid after US Open but can't play in Madrid at the same venue 2 months later ... "
   All Fed Cup and Davis Cup playoff and group competitions also were postponed until 2021, the ITF said.

Bryans end Davis Cup career with win; U.S. advances

Bob Bryan, serving, and Mike Bryan finished 25-5 (.833)
in the Davis Cup to rank first in the United States and
tied for fourth overall in doubles wins. File photo by
Paul Bauman

   There are worse places to end your Davis Cup career than Honolulu.
   Especially with a clinching victory.
   Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, 41-year-old identical twins and former Stanford stars who plan to retire after the U.S. Open, defeated Sanjar Fayziev and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4 in 67 minutes today to give the United States an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five-match qualifier.
   Istomin, 33, and Fayziev, 25, are ranked No. 320 and No. 474 in doubles, respectively.
   It was the Bryans' first Davis Cup match together since an agonizing loss to Croatia in 2016 in Portland, Ore., where they had led the U.S. to the last of its record 32 championships in 2007.
   The Bryans could have given the Americans an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Croatia but lost to Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig in four sets. Croatia went on to stun the U.S. 3-2 for its first win after trailing 2-0.
   Bob Bryan underwent right hip surgery in August 2018 and returned at the beginning of 2019.   
   The United States will face an opponent to be determined in the Davis Cup Finals, Nov. 23-29 in Madrid. Uzbekistan will compete in World Group I in September.
   The Bryans, who made their Davis Cup debut in 2003, finished 25-5 (.833) to rank first in the U.S. and tied for fourth overall in doubles wins. They played on one Davis Cup championship team, going 4-0 in 2007.
   Istomin reached the final of the 2012 SAP Open in San Jose, losing to Milos Raonic.
   The Bryans, who grew up in Camarillo in the Los Angeles area and have won just about everything in tennis, ironically never won the title in San Jose, a 30-minute drive from Stanford. They played in one SAP Open final, losing to – in another irony – ex-Stanford stars Scott Lipsky and David Martin. The tournament ended after the 2013 edition, its 125th year in Northern California.
   College men – No. 10 seedes Filip Kolasinksi and Alexandre Rotsaert of Stanford ousted co-No. 1 seeds Keegan Smith and Johannes de Villiers (assistant coach) of UCLA 8-4 on Friday in the third round of Pacific Coast Men's Doubles in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla, Calif.
   College women – No. 2 UCLA edged No. 21 Cal 4-3 on Friday in Berkeley, Calif., in a Pacific-12 Conference opener. No. 113 Sasha Vagramov gave the Bruins an insurmountable 4-2 lead with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Jessica Zeynel on Court 6.
   No. 9 Stanford, which has won the last two NCAA team titles and three of the last four, blanked No. 37 USC 7-0 at Stanford on Friday.

U.S. eliminated from Davis Cup despite victory

Sam Querrey, a 32-year-old San Francisco native, and Jack
Sock gave the United States a dramatic win over Italy on Wed-
nesday in the Davis Cup Finals. File photo by Paul Bauman

   Despite a dramatic win over Italy, the United States was eliminated from the Davis Cup Finals on Wednesday.
   Twice coming within a tiebreaker of losing, the U.S. rallied for a 2-1 victory in Madrid.
   Sam Querrey, a 32-year-old San Francisco native, and Jack Sock won the decisive doubles match 7-6 (4), 6-7 (2), 6-4 over Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.
   The contest ended at 4:04 a.m. Madrid time, the latest finish in Davis Cup history and second-latest in tennis history. Lleyton Hewitt's victory over Marcos Baghdatis in the third round of the 2008 Australian Open ended at 4:30 a.m.
   "I don't even know where we are, what time it is, what day it is," U.S. captain Mardy Fish told reporters. "That was pretty special from these guys, for sure."
   Taylor Fritz, ranked 32nd, had pulled the United States even at 1-1 by beating eighth-ranked Matteo Berrettini, a U.S. Open semifinalist in September, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
   "I'm excited for Taylor," Fish said. "That's one of the biggest wins of his life. I'm just happy to be part of it."
   In the opener, 12th-ranked Fabio Fognini defeated 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) Reilly Opelka, ranked 36th, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.
  Fritz and Opelka, both 22, made their Davis Cup debuts on Tuesday in the United States' 2-1 loss to Canada. Querrey and Sock were credited with a victory even though the doubles match wasn't played.
  The winners of the six three-team groups advance to Friday's quarterfinals, along with the two best second-place finishers.
  Canada won Group F with a 2-0 record. The United States finished 1-1, and Italy went 0-2. The Americans needed to beat Italy decisively, surrendering few sets or games, to advance in the new format.
   The United States leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles, but its last one came in 2007. The Americans' 12-year title drought is their longest in the 119-year competition, breaking their previous mark of 11 (1996-2006).

Canada defeats U.S. in Davis Cup for first time

   New format, more frustration for the United States.

   Canada defeated the Americans for the first time today, winning 2-1 in Group F in the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid. It was Canada's maiden victory in 16 meetings against the United States and the first between the nations since 1965.

   Vasek Pospisil topped 6-foot-11 (2.11-meter) Reilly Opelka 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7), and Denis Shapovalov beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (6), 6-3.

   Shapovalov is ranked No. 15 at age 20. Pospisil, 29, had back surgery in January and returned at Wimbledon. He is No. 150 after reaching a career-high No. 25 in 2014.

   Fritz and Opelka, both 22, made their Davis Cup debuts. They are ranked No. 32 and No. 36, respectively.

   The scheduled doubles match was not played, but Sam Querrey, a 32-year-old San Francisco native, and Jack Sock were credited with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Pospisil and Shapovalov.

   Canada, which beat Italy 2-1 on Monday, became the first team to reach the quarterfinals. The United States (0-1) must beat Italy on Wednesday to have a chance of advancing.

   For the first time in the 119-year history of the Davis Cup, nations are competing at one site in the same week instead of going head-to-head at host countries over four weekends throughout the year.

   Competitions between nations have been shortened from the best-of-five matches to the best-of-three. The six group winners and two best second-place finishers advance.

   The United States leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles, but the last one came in 2007. If the Americans fall short again, they will break their drought record.

   In Group A, France defeated Japan 2-1. In the deciding match, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut outlasted Ben McLachlan (Cal, 2011-14) and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5.

Fish named Davis Cup captain; no ex-Stanford clash

Mardy Fish warms up between sets during a Sacramento
Capitals home match in 2013. Photo by Paul Bauman 

   Mardy Fish, the runner-up in the 2009 SAP Open in San Jose and a former Sacramento Capital in World TeamTennis, was named the captain (coach) of the United States Davis Cup team today.
   Fish replaces Jim Courier, who stepped down in September after eight years.
   "It is something that is a dream job for me, something I won't take for granted," Fish, 37, said during a conference call. "To be the next Davis Cup captain is incredibly humbling."
   Fish retired in 2015 after battling an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety. He competed in the Davis Cup from 2002 to 2012, won the singles silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and reached a career-high No. 7 in 2011.
   Fish lost to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the final of the 2009 SAP Open and played part-time for the Capitals in 2012 and 2013.
   The SAP Open ended a 125-year run in Northern California in 2013. The Capitals announced in February 2014 that they were moving to Las Vegas after 28 years in Sacramento and folded the following month.
   The Davis Cup will enter a new era this year. Instead of rounds being played months apart each year, an 18-team tournament is scheduled for Nov. 18-24 in Madrid.
   Australian Open qualifying -- Nicole Gibbs won't have to play a friend and former teammate for a berth in the main draw in Melbourne.
   The 18th-seeded Gibbs beat Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 7-5, 6-2 in the second round of qualifying, but Kristie Ahn lost to third-seeded Victorija Golubic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4.
   Gibbs and Ahn played No. 1 and 2, respectively, on Stanford's 2013 NCAA championship team.
   Golubic, ranked No. 104, is 3-1 (2-1 on hard courts) against Gibbs, ranked No. 127. They last met in September, with Golubic winning 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of qualifying in Wuhan, China, on the WTA tour on an outdoor hard court.
   College rankings -- The NCAA defending champion Stanford women are No. 1 in the year's first rankings, and the Cardinal men are No. 10. Neither the Cal men nor women cracked the Top 25.

U.S. rally falls short; Sanchez wins WTA doubles title

Sam Querrey, a late pick by U.S. captain Jim Courier, upset
Marin Cilic of host Croatia today in the Davis Cup semi-
finals. Croatia, however, defeated the United States 3-2.
File photo by Paul Bauman

   The United States, receiving an unexpected boost from Sam Querrey, almost pulled off an amazing comeback today in the Davis Cup semifinals.

   The U.S. came within one set of stunning host Croatia after trailing 2-0 on outdoor clay in Zadar on the Adriatic Sea. However, Borna Coric defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (0), 6-1, 6-7 (11), 6-1, 6-3 in 4 hours, 6 minutes to give Croatia a 3-2 victory. 

   Tiafoe, ranked No. 40, trailed 4-0 and 5-1 in the third set. against Coric, ranked No. 18.

   Coric, 21, was playing in his 16th Davis Cup singles match and Tiafoe, 20, his second after debuting on Friday with a loss to 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Marin Cilic. Coric shocked Roger Federer to win Halle (Germany) on grass in June.

   U.S. captain Jim Courier chose Querrey, a 30-year-old San Francisco native who has struggled this year, over Steve Johnson at the last minute to face Marin Cilic in today's first singles match. Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion and a two-time Grand Slam runner-up, was 6-0 against Querrey and 5-0 against Johnson.

   Querrey, who has plummeted from a career-high No. 11 in February to No. 61, responded with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-4 victory. He trailed 6-1 in the second-set tiebreaker.
   The United States was missing its top two players. Six-foot-10 (2.08-meter) John Isner, ranked No. 10, is awaiting the birth of his first child. Jack Sock, ranked No. 17 in singles and No. 2 in doubles, withdrew with a hip injury after winning his second consecutive Grand Slam men's doubles title with Mike Bryan in the U.S. Open.
   Bryan and Ryan Harrison began the United States' comeback on Saturday by edging Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 7-5, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5) in 4 hours, 41 minutes. Bryan and Harrison came within two points of losing at 5-6 in the fifth set.
   Croatia, slightly smaller than West Virginia with a population (4.2 million) comparable to metropolitan Detroit's, improved to 5-0 against the United States. In the teams' previous meeting, Croatia stunned the U.S. 3-2 after trailing 2-0 in Portland, Ore., in the 2006 quarterfinals.

   Only once in the 118-year history of the Davis Cup has the United States overcome a 2-0 deficit, accomplishing the feat in 1934 against Australia in London. 

   The U.S. has failed to reach the Davis Cup final since winning its record 32nd Davis Cup championship in 2007. Australia is next with 28.
   Croatia, which won its only Davis Cup title in 2005, reached the final for the second time in three years. It will play at defending champion France on Nov. 23-25 in a rematch of the World Cup soccer final in July won by France in Moscow.  

Asia Muhammad, left, and Maria Sanchez won
the doubles title in Quebec City on the WTA
tour. File photo by Paul Bauman

   WTA tour -- Unseeded Americans Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez, a 28-year-old product of Modesto, Calif., surprised second-seeded Darija Jurak of Croatia and Xenia Knoll of Switzerland 6-4, 6-3 to win the doubles title in Quebec City. It was Muhammad's third WTA doubles crown and Sanchez's second.
   Sanchez claimed the singles title in the inaugural Sacramento Challenger in 2012. Muhammad won the doubles crown in Sacramento in 2012 with local product Yasmin Schnack, who retired the following year at 25, and in Berkeley in July with former Stanford star Nicole Gibbs.
   Also today, two U.S. qualifiers who excelled in Sacramento singles lost in their first career WTA finals to 32-year-olds.
   Amanda Anisimova, 17, fell to second-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei 6-2, 6-2 in Hiroshima. Anisimova, who won her first professional title in last year's Sacramento Challenger at 15 before the tournament moved to Berkeley, became the first player born in 2001 to crack the top 100. She zoomed 39 places to No. 95.
   Jessica Pegula, 24, lost to eighth-seeded Pauline Parmentier of France 7-5, 6-2 in Quebec City. Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terrence and Kim Pegula, fell to Sanchez in the 2012 Sacramento final.
   Pegula soared 86 spots to No. 141, 18 notches below her career high of No. 123 in 2013 before injuries derailed her career.

U.S. barely survives; Anisimova, 17, gains first WTA final

Ryan Harrison, playing in Sacramento in 2014, and Mike Bryan
won a fifth-set tiebreaker today to keep the United States alive
at Croatia in the Davis Cup semifinals. Photo by Paul Bauman

   The United States still has a chance.

   Not much of one, but a chance nonetheless.

   The U.S. barely avoided elimination today as Mike Bryan (Stanford, 1997-98) and Ryan Harrison edged Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic of host Croatia 7-5, 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5) in 4 hours, 41 minutes in the Davis Cup semifinals. Bryan has won a record 18 Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and the other three players have earned one each. 

   Croatia leads the best-of-five series, on outdoor clay in Zadar on the Adriatic Sea, 2-1. The winner will face defending champion France on Nov. 23-25 at a site to be determined.
   In Sunday's reverse singles matches, No. 6-ranked Marin Cilic of Croatia will face No. 30 Steve Johnson, and No. 18 Borna Coric of Croatia will meet No. 40 Frances Tiafoe.

   The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Cilic, who will turn 30 on Sept. 28, won the 2014 U.S. Open and reached the final of Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open this year. Coric, 21, shocked Roger Federer to win Halle (Germany) on grass in June.
   Johnson, 28, is 1-3 in Davis Cup singles. Tiafoe, who won the 2016 Stockton (Calif.) Challenger, made his Davis Cup debut at age 20 on Friday and lost to Cilic 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
   The United States is missing its top two players, not that they necessarily would make a difference. Six-foot-10 (2.08-meter) John Isner, ranked No. 10, is awaiting the birth of his first child. Jack Sock, ranked No. 17 in singles and No. 2 in doubles, has a hip injury after winning his second consecutive Grand Slam men's doubles title with Bryan in the U.S. Open.
   The United States has failed to reach the Davis Cup final since winning the 2007 championship in Portland, Ore. Croatia, which won its only Davis Cup title in 2005, is trying to advance to the final for the second time in three years. The team lost to Argentina 3-2 in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2016.
   Croatia, slightly smaller than West Virginia with a population (4.2 million) comparable to metropolitan Detroit's, is 4-0 against the United States in the Davis Cup. In the most recent meeting, Croatia stunned the U.S. 3-2 after trailing 2-0 in Portland in the 2016 quarterfinals.
   WTA tour -- Two U.S. qualifiers who excelled in the now-defunct Sacramento Challenger reached their first WTA finals today. Both will play 32-year-olds.
   Amanda Anisimova, who won her first professional title last year in Sacramento at 15 years old, knocked off top-seeded Zhang Shuai of China 7-6 (4), 7-5 in Hiroshima.
   Jessica Pegula, the runner-up to Modesto product Maria Sanchez in the inaugural Sacramento Challenger six years ago, outlasted 19-year-old compatriot Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in Quebec City.
   Kenin has won Northern California Challengers in each of the past three years (Sacramento in 2016, Stockton last year and Berkeley in July). The Sacramento tournament lost its primary sponsor and moved to Berkeley this year.
   Anisimova, who turned 17 two weeks ago, became the youngest player to reach a WTA final since Donna Vekic of Croatia lost in Tashkent in 2012 and Birmingham in 2013 as a 16-year-old. Anisimova, ranked No. 134, also will become the first player born in 2001 to crack the top 100 on Monday.
   A potential star, Anisimova improved to 12-3 since returning from a four-month injury layoff in San Jose in July and 24-6 overall this season, including 11-4 in WTA main draws. She broke a foot in Miami in March.
   Anisimova is scheduled to face second-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei on Sunday. The 40th-ranked Hsieh, playing her second match of the day, beat Wang Qiang of China 6-4, 6-4.
   Earlier, Hsieh topped fifth-seeded Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in a rain-postponed quarterfinal. Tomljanovic, a Croatia native, withdrew from the final of the 2017 Sacramento Challenger with a shoulder injury.
   Hsieh upset top-ranked Simona Halep in the third round at Wimbledon in July before losing to Dominika Cibulkova.
  Pegula, the 24-year-old daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terrence and Kim Pegula, has been plagued by injuries during her career. Ranked No. 227, she will meet eighth-seeded Pauline Parmentier of France. Parmentier, ranked No. 69, nipped Heather Watson of Great Britain 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
   In the Quebec City doubles semifinals, unseeded Asia Muhammad and Sanchez topped third-seeded Desirae Krawczyk and Giuliana Olmos 3-6, 6-3 [10-7] in an all-American encounter.
   Krawczyk and Olmos, who's from Fremont in the San Francisco Bay Area, won last year's Sacramento Challenger.
   Muhammad took the Sacramento crown in 2012 with local product Yasmin Schnack, who retired the following year at 25, and in Berkeley in July with former Stanford star Nicole Gibbs.
   Muhammad and Sanchez, who reached the second round of the 2015 U.S. Open together, will play second-seeded Darija Jurak of Croatia and Xenia Knoll of Switzerland for the title.
   Muhammad seeks her third career WTA doubles title and Sanchez her second.

U.S. trails 2-0; ex-Sacramento stars reach WTA semis

Frances Tiafoe, playing in Newport Beach, Calif., in January,
made his Davis Cup debut today and lost to No. 6-ranked
Marin Cilic of Croatia. Photo courtesy of JFS Communications  

   At least the United States extended two sets to tiebreakers today.
   So much for the Americans' highlights as host Croatia swept all six sets on outdoor clay to take a 2-0 lead in Zadar on the Adriatic Sea in the Davis Cup semifinals.
   Borna Coric defeated Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3, and Marin Cilic beat Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Tiafoe, who won the 2016 Stockton (Calif.) Challenger, was making his Davis Cup debut at 20.
   The United States must win Saturday's doubles match to stay alive in the best-of-five competition. Americans Mike Bryan (Stanford, 1997-98) and Ryan Harrison are scheduled to oppose Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic. Bryan has captured a record 18 Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and the other three players have won one each.
    The United States has not reached the Davis Cup final since winning the 2007 crown in Portland, Ore. Croatia, the 2005 champion, is trying to reach the final for the second time in three years.
   Croatia's commanding lead over the United States is hardly surprising:
   --The nation, slightly smaller than West Virginia with a population (4.2 million) comparable to metropolitan Detroit, is 4-0 against the United States. In the most recent meeting, Croatia stunned the U.S. 3-2 after trailing 2-0 in Portland in the 2016 quarterfinals.
   --As the host, Croatia chose the United States' weakest surface.
   --Croatia has a formidable team. The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion and a two-time Grand Slam runner-up, is ranked No. 6 in singles. Coric, who upset Roger Federer to win the Halle (Germany) title on grass in June, is No. 18. Pavic and Dodig are No. 4 and No. 24, respectively, in doubles.
   --The United States is missing its top two players, not that they necessarily would have made a difference. Six-foot-10 (2.08-meter) John Isner, ranked No. 10, is at home in the United States awaiting the birth of his first child. Jack Sock, ranked No. 17 in singles and No. 2 in doubles, is out with a hip injury. Bryan and Sock have won the last two Grand Slam men's doubles titles.
   WTA tour -- Two ex-champions and one former runner-up in the Sacramento Challenger reached the semifinals in Quebec City or Hiroshima.
   No. 5 seed Sofia Kenin, a 19-year-old American, dismissed No. 3 Monica Puig 6-3, 6-1 in 55 minutes in Quebec City to reach her second WTA semifinal.
   Kenin has won Northern California Challengers in each of the past three years (Sacramento in 2016, Stockton last year and Berkeley in July). The Sacramento tournament lost its sponsor and moved to Berkeley this year.
   Puig claimed Puerto Rico's first Olympic gold medal in any sport in 2016 singles in Rio de Janeiro.
   Kenin, ranked No. 67, will play compatriot Jessica Pegula, a qualifier ranked No. 227 and the runner-up to Modesto product Maria Sanchez six years ago in the inaugural Sacramento Challenger.
   Pegula, the 24-year-old daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terrence and Kim Pegula, surprised No. 2 seed Petra Martic of Croatia 6-3, 7-5. Martic won last week's inaugural Chicago Challenger.
   In the doubles semifinals on Saturday, No. 3 seeds Desirae Krawczyk and Giuliana Olmos will play unseeded Asia Muhammad and Sanchez in an all-American matchup.
   Krawczyk and Olmos, from Fremont in the San Francisco Bay Area, won last year's Sacramento Challenger. Muhammad took the crown in Sacramento in 2012 with local product Yasmin Schnack, who retired the following year at 25, and in Berkeley in July with former Stanford star Nicole Gibbs.
   Amanda Anisimova, a 17-year-old U.S. qualifier, gained her first WTA semifinal with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 2 seed Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia in Hiroshima.
   The 134th-ranked Anisimova, who won her first professional title in the 2017 Sacramento Challenger, will face China's Zhang Shuai, seeded first and ranked No. 41.

U.S. wins doubles, advances to Davis Cup semis

   As expected, the United States won the doubles to clinch a victory over Belgium in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
   But today's match was surprisingly close.
   Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock subdued Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 5-7, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (3), 6-4 in three hours in Nashville, Tenn., to give the U.S. an insurmountable 3-0 lead and put the United States in the semifinals for the first time since 2012.
   John Isner and San Francisco native Sam Querrey won their singles matches on Friday.
   Both Harrison and Sock -- ranked 17th and 26th in doubles, respectively -- have won one Grand Slam men's doubles title but with different partners. Harrison and Michael Venus of New Zealand took the French Open crown last year, and Sock teamed with Vasek Pospisil of Canada for the 2014 Wimbledon trophy.
   Meanwhile, Gille and Vliegen -- ranked 84th and 98th in doubles, respectively -- made their Davis Cup debut near where they played in college. Gille attended East Tennessee State, and Vliegen went to East Carolina.
   The United States likely will play at nemesis Croatia, which leads visiting Kazakhstan 2-1, in the Sept. 14-16 semifinals.
   Croatia, with a population comparable to Detroit's, is 4-0 against the United States. In the most recent meeting, Croatia stunned the U.S. 3-2 after trailing 2-0 in Portland, Ore., in the 2016 quarterfinals.