ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina win- Spain and Argentina both won their ATP Cup ties with some ease as men’s professional tennis returned for the 2022 season. Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta made light of the absence of Rafa Nadal with contrasting victories over Chileans Cristian Garín and Alejandro Tabilo. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas missed the doubles tie but returned for singles. Follow Insidesport.in for ATP Cup LIVE Updates.
Also Read: ATP Cup 2022 Prize Money: LIVE streaming, Schedule, Groups, Date, Time, Teams all you need to know
ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina clinch easy wins; Stefanos Tsitsipas plays doubles, gives singles a miss on opening day
Carreno Busta was forced to come from 0-3 down in both sets and again from 1-3 in the decisive tie break before overcoming tricky left-hander Tabilo 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the first match of the year on Ken Rosewall Arena.
Bautista Agut then steamrollered world number 17 Garin 6-0 6-3 to give the Spaniards an unassailable lead in the Group A tie ahead of the doubles rubber.
ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina clinch easy wins; Stefanos Tsitsipas plays doubles, gives singles a miss on opening day
Group D – Argentina v Georgia
Federico Delbonis earlier made light work of Aleksandre Metreveli with a 6-1, 6-2 win at the Sydney Super Dome to give Argentina a 1-0 lead in their Group D tie against Georgia.
Diego Schwartzman then trounced Nikoloz Basilashvili by the same score before Maximo Gonzalez, and Andres Molteni beat Zura Tkemaladze and Saba Purtseladze, again 6-1, 6-2, in the doubles.
Also Read: ATP Cup 2022 Prize Money: LIVE streaming, Schedule, Groups, Date, Time, Teams all you need to know
ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina clinch easy wins; Stefanos Tsitsipas plays doubles, gives singles a miss on opening day
Group D – Greece v Poland
In the evening session, Greece fell to a 2-1 loss to Poland as world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled out of his singles match with Hubert Hurkacz due to a niggling right elbow issue.
🇬🇷 #TeamGreece are on the board.
Michail Pervolarakis and @steftsitsipas hold on against Hurkacz/Zielinski, 6-4, 5-7, [10-8].
#ATPCup pic.twitter.com/vNCJQiSsdc— ATPCup (@ATPCup) January 1, 2022
ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina clinch easy wins; Stefanos Tsitsipas plays doubles, gives singles a miss on opening day
Kamil Majchrzak gave Poland the lead with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 win over Michail Pervolarakis before world number nine Hurkacz swept aside Tsitsipas’ replacement, Aristotelis Thanos, 6-1, 6-2.
“I was expecting to play Stefanos and I was preparing tactics with my coach and Marcin (Matkowski), so it was difficult when I found out. I’d never played (Thanos) before, or seen him play. He had a big serve and fortunately, I was returning quite well and put pressure on him,” Hurkacz said.
Tsitsipas, however, returned for the doubles rubber, partnering Pervolarakis to claim a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 win over Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski.
ATP Cup 2022: Spain, Argentina clinch easy wins; Stefanos Tsitsipas plays doubles, gives singles a miss on opening day