Tennis – ATP Cup: Nadal surrender – Serbia victory – sport

Melbourne (AFP) Tennis star Rafael Nadal skips the launch of the ATP Cup in Melbourne with back problems.

“He and his team decided not to play the first game of the ATP Cup here in Melbourne today because my back is stiff. I hope to be better on Thursday,” the world number two wrote on Twitter. Spain, which reached the final last year, began the second edition of first-class competition at Rod Laver Stadium against hosts Australia.

First of all, defending champion Serbia, led by world number one Novak Djokovic, beat Canada 2-1 in the Germany group. After defeating Dusan Lyoviش 3: 6, 4: 6 against Milos Raonic, Djokovic, cheered by thousands of fans, defeated Denis Shapovalov 7: 5, 7: 5. Djokovic / Philip Krajinovic won the final duo with a score of 7: 5, 7: 6 Raonic / Shapovalov. Aleksander Zverev’s German side will play their first game against Canada on Wednesday.

World No. 3 Austria lost Dominic Thiem to Italy, 1: 2. After the success of Denis Novak 6: 3.6: 2 against Fabio Fognini, Tim lost to Matteo Perettini 2: 6, 4: 6. In doubles, Novak lost / Tim vs Perettini / Funini 1: 6, 4: 6.

The winners of the four groups of three move to the semi-finals. Last year, Serbia defeated Spain in the final. Germany were eliminated from the group stage in 2020, also because Alexander Zverev lost all three singles.

The Australian Open will begin in Melbourne Park on February 8th. Even there, despite the Coronavirus pandemic, up to 30,000 people should be able to watch Elite tennis every day.