USA sweeps Canada on Day 2 of the ATP Cup - UBITENNIS

USA sweeps Canada on Day 2 of the ATP Cup

Team USA produced a clean sweep to record their first-ever victory in the history of the competition.

By Elias Laradi
5 Min Read
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American has won their opening tie at the ATP Cup after John Isner and Taylor Fritz won both their respective singles matches to seal an unassailable lead.

The tie started with a late cxhange to the line-up. Denis Shaspovalov was expected to face John Isner but it was decided he wasn’t ready yet after coming out of isolation on Friday after testing positive for Covid. Insterad, fellow Torontonian Brayden Schnur was chosen to face the 6ft 10 Isner.

Isner rolls past Schnur

Isner served 10 aces and won 70% of his first-serve points in a 6-1, 6-3 win that lasted only 65 minutes as he raced past the world number 238 to give his team the 1-0 lead in the tie.

The North Carolina native got off to the better start holding serve and earned two breakpoints the following game before breaking serve for an early 2-0 lead.

The match stayed on serve until 4-1 when Isner set up two more breakpoints with a stunning forehand winner crosscourt. Cracking under the pressure Schnur double-faulted to give the world number 24 a double break lead and he served out the first set.

The second set stayed on serve until 2-2 when again the American set up two chances to break, this time with his powerful backhand, and broke once again and that break of serve was enough to serve out the match.

“I surprised myself with how well I played out here, You always work hard in the offseason, but you never really know what could happen in that first match of the year.” Isner said after the match.

Fritz outlasts Auger Aliassime

In the second rubber California native Taylor Fritz took on world number 11 Felix Auger Aliassime. The match went the distance with the American finaly prevailing 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Fritz served 12 aces and won 78% of his first-serve points in a match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes.

Both players did a good job holding serve and the opener needed to be decided by a tiebreaker in which the American jumped out to a 5-1 lead but the Montreal native stormed back by saving four set points and winning two more points to seal the first set.

Fritz was keen to play better in the second and he did get the early break for a 2-1 lead. That one break of serve was enough for him to serve out the second set and force a deciding third set.

The decider was a battle and it stayed on serve until 3-3 when again it was Fritz who had the crucial break of serve as the Canadian seemed to wilt and he went on to serve out the match.

In his on-court interview, Fritz spoke about how he felt he had improved and was very happy to seal the USA’s first-ever win at the ATP Cup after failing to get a win last year.

“I played well the whole time and I felt I finished last year playing my best plus a good offseason playing great tennis so I played well today,” he said.
I played good in the first and let it slip away from me but I kinda kept the level up and was able to close out the next two sets”.

USA shuts out Canada

In the final match, Isner and Fritz joined forces in the doubles match beating the Canadia duo of Auger Aliassime and Shapovalov 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 11 minutes.

The Americans fired 33 winners, served eight aces and didn’t lose a single service game to complete the tie and finish with a 3-0 win. Next up for Team USA is Germany on Tuesday while Canada will face Great Britain.

Only one team from the group will advance to the next round and it was a perfect start to the tournament for the US while Canada will look to bounce back after a tough outing.

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