Germany, Australia, Canada and Belgium earn victories openers

Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime returns the ball to Argentina’s Sebastian Baez during the Davis Cup group stage finals match

Germany beat Slovakia 3-0 despite the absence of No. 2-ranked Alexander Zverev, and 2023 runner-up Australia came out on top in its duel with France yesterday [Macau time] as the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals kicked off.

Four groups play across four cities this week to qualify for the Final 8 knockout stage to be held in Malaga, Spain, in November. The top two in each four-team group will advance.

Germany and Slovakia were the first teams in action on Tuesday playing in China in Group C, which also includes the United States. The U.S. plays Chile on Wednesday.

Germany sent out Maximilian Marterer in the first singles match and the 104th-ranked player won 6-4, 7-5 against Lukas Klein. Yannick Hanfmann then saved a match point and rallied from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) against Jozef Kovalik in the second singles match.

U.S. Open doubles finalists Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz completed the German win by claiming a 7-5, 6-3 against win over Klein and Igor Zelenay.

After finishing runner-up the past two years, Australia is again among the favorites and beat France 2-1 in Group B in the Spanish town of Valencia.

Thanasi Kokkinakis gave Australia a 1-0 lead with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) win over No. 25-ranked Arthur Fils.

Kokkinakis, ranked 78th, fought back from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to record a first top-30 win in the team competition.

“Arthur is a great player, he’s going to be leading the French team for a while, so I knew it was a tough challenge,” Kokkinakis said. “I just tried to hang in there and I think I played steady on the big moments. There wasn’t much in it.”

Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Edouard Roger-Vasselin saved a match point then took the second set of the decisive doubles match but ultimately lost to Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Purcell and fellow Australian Jordan Thompson won the men’s doubles title at the U.S. Open last weekend.

Among the big names competing this week are Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and British player Jack Draper, who made it to the U.S. Open semifinals last week.

Italy beat Australia for the 2023 title.

Playing in Group D, Denis Shapovalov converted all four break points to defeat Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-3 and give Canada an early lead. Felix Auger-Aliassime then beat Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-3 to clinch Canada’s victory. It ended 2-1 after Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni came from behind to beat Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in doubles.

In Group A, Belgium beat the Netherlands 2-1. MDT/AP