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Best Matches Of The Weekend:

🇳🇱Haase 🎥 🇨🇦Shapovalov

🇦🇹Thiem 🎥 🇦🇺De Minaur

🇺🇸Tiafoe 🎥 🇭🇷Coric

🇺🇸Bryan/Harrison 🎥 🇭🇷Dodig/Pavic

🇪🇸Bautista Agut 🎥 🇫🇷Pouille

SEMI-FINAL & PLAY-OFF RESULTS 🎾

💥 = Beatdown \\ 🤕 = Injury \\ ‼️ = Upset

🇺🇸USA vs 🇭🇷Croatia (Semi-Final) Croatia (Zadar), Outdoor Clay (Red)

(Rubber 1) 🇭🇷 Coric d 🇺🇸 Johnson : 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3

(Rubber 2) 🇭🇷 Cilic d 🇺🇸 Tiafoe : 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(5)

(Rubber 3) 🇺🇸 M Bryan/R Harrison d 🇭🇷 Dodig/Pavic : 7-5, 7-6(6). 1-6, 6-7(5), 7-6(5)

(Rubber 4) 🇺🇸 Querrey d 🇭🇷 Cilic : 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-4

(Rubber 5) 🇭🇷 Coric d 🇺🇸Tiafoe: 6-7(0), 6-1, 6-7(11), 6-1, 6-3 🎥

— Croatia move onto the final (to face France) with a 3-2 win. Final to be played on the 23 Nov - 25 Nov 2018.

Key Moments:

Croatia were 2 points away from a 3-0 sweep. In the 3rd Rubber, Dodig/Pavic held 15-30 at 5*-6 in the 5th set with Bryan/Harrison serving, but the Americans managed to take it. Then in the 4th Rubber, Cilic held 5 consecutive set points in the 2nd set vs Querrey for, what would have been, a 2-0 set lead. But Querrey managed to turn it around in spectacular fashion, saving all 5 set points in a row to take the 2nd set. Cilic never recovered. USA with a gutsy attempt at what would have been a comeback for the ages.

Key Match = (5th Rubber) Tiafoe d Coric:

Amazing up and down decider, in which both players forehands utterly broke down for portions of the match. The Croatian was 5-1 up in the 3rd set, but then imploded to lose the set 6-7(11). A nice recovery featured Coric playing the more proactive tennis where he was able to exploit the Tiafoe forehand on numerous occasions. The American showed great heart in this contest but really struggled to impose himself on the match unless Coric was making errors. Somewhat understandable though given that the surface definitely favoured Coric.

🇫🇷France vs 🇪🇸Spain (Semi-Final) France (Lille), Indoor Hard

(Rubber 1) 🇫🇷 Paire d 🇪🇸 Carreno Busta : 7-5, 6-1, 6-0 (🤕 Carreno Busta = Thigh)

(Rubber 2) 🇫🇷 Pouille d 🇪🇸 Bautista Agut : 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 🎥

(Rubber 3) 🇫🇷Benneteau/Mahut d 🇪🇸Granollers/F.Lopez: 6-0, 6-4, 7-6(7)

— France move onto the final (to face Croatia) with a 3-2 (two dead rubbers played) win. Final to be played on the 23 Nov - 25 Nov 2018.

Key Match = (2nd Rubber) Pouille d Bautista Agut (RBA):

An impressive, 4 hour long, battle from both players. Pouille was at his mercurial best, constantly swerving from sublime shotmaking, mostly in the form of drop-shots, to groundstrokes that sailed metres out. The Frenchman finished with 52 winners to 87 unforced errors, Bautista Agut with 29 winners to 48 unforced. Both played the big points well, with Pouille saving 10/15 break points and RBA 8/12. It came down to a tight 5th set which featured Pouille bullying Bautista Agut’s backhand while locked at 4-4. This strategy proved fruitful as RBA committed two backhand errors in a row to give the Frenchman the crucial break to serve for the match. Pouille then saved a break point with a big serve before converting his third match point with an ace.

Featured Play-Offs:

—

🇦🇹Austria vs 🇦🇺Australia: Austria (Graz), Outdoor Clay (Red)

(Rubber 1) 🇦🇹 Thiem d 🇦🇺 Thompson : 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 💥

(Rubber 2) 🇦🇹 D. Novak d 🇦🇺 De Minaur : 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 ‼️

(Rubber 3) 🇦🇺 Hewitt/Peers d 🇦🇹 Marach/Melzer : 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

(Rubber 4) 🇦🇹Thiem d 🇦🇺De Minaur: 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 🎥

— Austria win 3-1.

🇨🇦Canada vs 🇳🇱Netherlands: Canada (Toronto), Indoor Hard

(Rubber 1) 🇨🇦 Raonic d 🇳🇱 De Bakker : 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 💥

(Rubber 2) 🇨🇦 Shapovalov d 🇳🇱 Haase : 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 🎥 (Worth watching)

(Rubber 3) 🇳🇱 Roger/Middelkoop d 🇨🇦 Nestor/Pospisil : 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

(Rubber 4) 🇨🇦Raonic d 🇳🇱Griekspoor: 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4

— Canada win 3-1.

Also:

Great Britain d Uzbekistan : 3-1

Sweden d Switzerland : 3-2

Japan d Bosnia/Herzegovina : 4-0

Czech Republic d Hungary : 3-2

Serbia d India : 4-0

Argentina d Colombia: 4-0

Full Results

Quick TL;DR of what this means for next years reformed Davis Cup (yes this is confusing):

Automatically into Davis Cup Finals 2019 (November): SPAIN, FRANCE, CROATIA, USA.

Practically confirmed for Davis Cup Qualifying Rounds 2019 (February): BEL, GER, KAZ, ITA, ARG, SRB, GBR, CAN, AUT, CZE, SWE, JPN, SUI, NED, HUN, RUS, COL, BRA, CHI, AUS, IND.

With a few remaining nations hoping to get into qualifying based on ranking.

SHOTS OF THE WEEKEND 😮

— Outrageous touch from Tiafoe (vs Coric) at the end of a 19 stroke rally.

— Haase with an incredible flick crosscourt. Wasn’t even a bad volley from Shapovalov.

— The perfect lob from Thiem (vs Thompson).

— Mike Bryan playing Wii Tennis.

— Coric with a brilliant tweener lob vs Johnson.

— De Minaur showing once again why he’s probably the heir to Monfils’ crown as the fastest tennis player alive.

INTERVIEW & PRESS BEST BITS 🎤

🇫🇷Benneteau, who came out of retirement to play the France vs Spain tie:

“It's quite possible it could be the last match of my career on tour. And what a way to finish.” Source

🇫🇷Mahut on playing with his old friend one last time:

“Julien (Benneteau) and I have known each other for more than 20 years and we’ve dreamed of playing this kind of match. We didn’t play the final last year but today was history - and I think we’ll remember this one for ever.” Source

🇭🇷Coric after his epic, 5-set, deciding win vs Tiafoe:

“This is the most special moment of my whole life — by far. If there were not (fan support) I would lose in the fourth set for sure, because my head was deep in the water.” Source

🇺🇸Jim Courier (USA Captain) post-loss:

“To have a rookie perform the way that Frances (Tiafoe) did in the fifth match is very impressive. What Sam (Querrey) did, turning his match around (vs Cilic), was kind of mind-boggling. I couldn't be prouder of these guys. They laid it all out there, fought hard, played as well as they could.” Source

🇺🇸Tiafoe post-loss:

“I'm young and I'm going to learn from that. In the fifth, it could have gone either way. He raised his level. I raised my level. Hats off.” Source

🇦🇹Thiem on De Minaur (Source):

“Alex has proved he’s world class this year. At the US Open he played really good which was on a pretty slow hard court so I was not that surprised by how well he played today.”

“I was playing very good in first two sets, then I had a bit of a drop and he's the kind of player who doesn't give you anything. It got really open and close in the fourth and in the end I was really happy I pulled it through and that it didn't go into a fifth set.”

🇨🇦Daniel Nestor playing his last ever match:

“But my level just isn’t good enough anymore. These guys were probably feeling comfortable serving to me. And on my serve, too many double-faults and too many yips, as we call them. I know it’s my time and guys are too good now. So I’m happy to retire and as far as the future we have great things going on in Canadian tennis. I’m going to miss this.” Source

EXTRAS 🔍📊🎤

Daniel Nestor saying goodbye: On court interview.

Borna Coric’s breakthrough year continues: Sends Croatia into the Davis Cup final, wins his first ATP 500 title (Halle), breaks into the top 20, makes 2nd week of a slam for first time etc etc. He also improves his Davis Cup, 5th Rubber record to 3 wins and 0 losses.

— Benneteau playing his last match, a stellar doubles performance to give France the win over Spain. Waving goodbye next to his old mate Mahut. These two won the US Open junior doubles title together back in 1999. Thanks for the memories Julien 👋.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK?⏰

🇫🇷Metz - ATP 250 (Hard)

Full Draw

Projected Quarter-Finals:

Nishikori vs Basilashvili

Pouille vs Kohlschreiber

Gasquet vs Simon

Tsitsipas vs Mannarino

Predicted 🏆: Nishikori

🇷🇺St. Petersburg Open - ATP 250 (Hard)

Full Draw

Projected Quarter-Finals:

Thiem vs Medvedev

Cecchinato vs Bautista Agut

Khachanov vs Dzumhur

Fognini vs Shapovalov

Predicted 🏆: Thiem

LOL 😂

— Cilic absolutely laying waste to his racquet after squandering 5 set points. 8/10 smash.

— The year is 2032, Lleyton Hewitt wins the Davis Cup for Australia with the aid of a zimmerframe. Opponents still complaining about him pulling out “The Vicht” after every point.

— The French team getting seriously loose post-win… Full Video

— …which seems to have ended with Yannick Noah (the non-playing French captain) getting stark naked. Absolute nutter.

Gasquet quietly thinking to himself: “Nobody say the “c” word, I’m not going down like this again.”

—

— One of the bigger divots you’ll see on a clay court.

— Worst SABR of the year award goes to Jurabek Karimov (vs Norrie). Extra points for nearly hitting the lineswoman before the ball had even bounced.

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GAME, SET, MATCH 👋

— The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt.

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See you this weekend for Laver Cup coverage!