Davis Cup Finals 2021: Russian Tennis Federation vs. Croatia Set After Semifinals

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images

The Russian Tennis Federation punched its ticket to the 2021
Davis Cup Finals championship match with a semifinal triumph over
Germany on Saturday at Madrid Arena in Spain.

Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev, two
of the top-five ranked players in the world, swept the singles
matches for the Russians over Dominik Koepfer and Jan-Lennard Struff,
respectively. Those victories rendered the doubles result
meaningless.

The Russian Tennis Federation advances to face Croatia, who
defeated Novak Djokovic and Serbia in Friday’s semifinal, in the
final on Sunday.

Saturday’s Results

1. Rublev (RUS) d. Koepfer (GER); 6-4, 6-0

2. Medvedev (RUS) d. Struff (GER); 6-4, 6-4

3. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz (GER) d. Aslan Karatsev and Karen Khachanov (RUS): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Championship Preview

The presence of Medvedev (No. 2 in the
ATP Tour rankings) and Rublev (No. 5) gives the Russian Tennis Federation a massive
advantage on paper heading into the final. Croatia has been using
Marin Cilic (No. 30) and Borna Gojo (No. 279) as its singles tandem.

Any edge associated with the extra day
of rest was likely rendered moot by how quickly the Russian pair got
off the court Saturday. Rublev needed only 50 minutes to breeze past
Koepfer, and Medvedev secured his win in just over an hour (1:06), so
they should both be fresh.

“Croatia is a very strong team, it
has always been at the Davis Cup,” Medvedev told reporters. “I am
not expecting anything easy, so we will have to play our best to have
our chances to win.”

While the Russian Tennis Federation has swept the singles
matches in both of its matchups in the knockout round, things could
get interesting if one of the Croatian players can score an upset.

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, Croatia’s
doubles team, have gone 4-0 in the tournament without dropping a set.
That includes a clinching win over Djokovic and Filip Krajinovic in
the semis.

If the championship match goes the
distance, it’ll be interesting to see how the Russians attempt to
counterattack that in-form pair. They used Rublev and Aslan Karatsev
in doubles in the group stage en route to a couple of three-set wins.

The question is whether they’d use that
tandem again or potentially team Rublev and Medvedev with the title
hanging in the balance. It could prove difficult for Medvedev—who’s been playing in the second singles slot—to play doubles on a
short turnaround if his singles match is a long, hard-fought
encounter, though.

The Russian Tennis Federation will hope that decision doesn’t
even come into play. If it plays up to potential in singles, it could
be an anticlimactic final.