Canadian Denis Shapovalov picked up his second win against a top-10 player at the ATP Cup team event on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 thumping of Alexander Zverev as the German continued to struggle with his serve ahead of this month’s Australian Open.
Shapovalov, 20, needed just 70 minutes to brush aside World No. 7 Zverev, who lost his third straight singles before the year’s first Grand Slam starting in Melbourne on Jan. 20.
Shapovalov returned with teammate Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the deciding doubles rubber against Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3 7-6(4), earning Canada a 2-1 win in the tie to keep it in the hunt for the quarterfinals.
All six group winners and the two best second-placed teams will advance to the final eight in Sydney. Host Australia, Serbia and Russia have already qualified.
“I feel like we’re definitely one of the top teams, and I feel like we definitely deserve to go to Sydney. Hopefully, if we do get that chance, we can do some really big damage,” said Shapovalov.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, the U.S. Open finalist and World No. 5, won his third straight singles rubber in Perth, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3 7-6(6). Dan Evans completed a one-sided 6-2, 6-2 win over Radu Albot to seal Britain’s victory over Moldova in Sydney.
The results:
In Sydney: Group C: Britain bt Moldova 3-0 [Cameron Norrie bt Alexander Cozbinov 6-2, 6-2; Dan Evans bt Radu Albot 6-2, 6-2; Jamie Murray & Joe Salisbury bt Radu Albot & Alexander Cozbinov 6-2, 6-3].
Belgium bt Bulgaria 2-1 [David Goffin bt Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Steve Darcis lost to Dinitar Kuzmanov 6-0, 6-3; Sander Gille & Joran Vliegen bt Dimitrov & Alexandar Lazarov 3-6, 6-4, (10-7)]
In Brisbane: Group F: Canada bt Germany 2-1 [Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-4; Denis Shapovalov bt Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-2; Shapovalov & Auger-Aliassime bt Kevin Krawietz & Andreas Mies 6-3, 7-6(4)].
Australia bt Greece 3-0 [John Millman bt Michail Pervolarakis 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(1); Nick Kyrgios bt Stefano Tsitsipas 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 7-6(5); Chris Guccione & John Peers bt Markos Kalovelonis & Petros Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4]
In Perth: Group D: Russia bt Norway 3-0 [Karen Khachanov bt Viktor Durasovic 6-2, 6-1; Daniil Medvedev bt Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-6(6); Teymuraz Gabashvili & Konstantin Kravchuk bt Rudd & Durasovic7-6(4), 6-4].
