Paris: Carlos Alcaraz made his return to competitive tennis following his unexpected exit from the US Open, contributing to Spain’s successful start in the Davis Cup on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old, who has previously triumphed at both the French Open and Wimbledon, faced an early defeat in the second round at Flushing Meadows last month.
With some free time available, he took an unplanned trip to Monza to attend the Formula One Italian Grand Prix before returning to the court in Valencia, where Spain commenced their group stage finals against the Czech Republic.
Roberto Bautista Agut secured the first point for Spain with a victory over Jiri Lehecka, finishing 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.
Alcaraz then took to the court, overcoming a first-set loss of 6-7 (3/7) to Tomas Machac, decisively winning the second set 6-1 before Machac retired.
He continued his strong performance by teaming up with Marcel Granollers to achieve a hard-fought doubles victory, winning 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) against Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek, thereby clinching the Group B tie with a 3-0 scoreline.
Meanwhile, in China, the United States commenced their quest for a record-extending 33rd Davis Cup title by decisively defeating Chile.
Bob Bryan’s team, despite being ranked lower, managed to outplay the higher-seeded South Americans, winning 3-0 in their group stage opener in Zhuhai.
The United States claimed their first title in the inaugural edition of this prestigious men’s team competition in 1900, but their last victory with the iconic ‘salad bowl’ trophy occurred in 2007.
At the Hengqin International Tennis Centre, the American team, featuring world number 309 Reilly Opelka, number 40 Brandon Nakashima, and the doubles pair of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, demonstrated their superiority against Nicolas Massu’s squad.
Opelka secured the initial point for the United States by defeating Cristian Garin with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3).
Following this, Nakashima made a remarkable debut in the Davis Cup, overcoming world number 22 Alejandro Tabilo with a scoreline of 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 7-6 (7/3).
The doubles team of Krajicek and Ram continued the momentum by triumphing over Tomas Barrios Vera and Matias Soto, finishing with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
Given the competitive nature of all three matches, which culminated in deciding set tie-breaks, it is understandable that Bryan characterized the day as “an epic day of tennis.”
Bryan, who, alongside his twin brother Mike, has won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles and was part of the 2007 Davis Cup championship team, remarked, “Everyone displayed tremendous heart and determination.”
He further acknowledged the Chilean team, stating, “Kudos to our players for their resilience, particularly in critical moments.”
Bryan noted, “It is unprecedented in Davis Cup history for all matches to reach a third-set tie-break—this is a historic day. I am immensely proud of the players.”
Reflecting on his performance, Opelka, who underwent wrist surgery in July, stated, “As the underdog in this tie, it feels fantastic to begin with a victory.”
Despite his recent surgery, he delivered 27 aces during the match, commenting, “My serve has been the most challenging aspect to regain since my injury. I struggled at the US Open, but my performance has been improving week by week.”
Nakashima, reveling in his first Davis Cup point, expressed, “It feels incredible. Achieving my first Davis Cup win in this manner is truly special.”
The Americans have a day off now before Friday’s next Group C clash with Slovakia, hurting after Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Germany, who take on Chile on Thursday.
The USA are aiming to make it out of the group stage to progress to the finals for the first time since 2022.
Over in Manchester, Britain beat Finland 2-1 thanks to singles wins from Dan Evans and Billy Harris.
And in Bologna, defending champions Italy, without newly minted US champion Jannik Sinner, secured a win over Brazil thanks to singles victories for Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi.
The top two nations in each of the four groups in the round robin phase will qualify for the eight-team final in Malaga, Spain from November 19-24.
