DAVIS CUP GROUPS: With all four Grand Slams out of the way, it is time for the players to put on their international colours as they represent their nations in the Davis Cup. Here we will take a look at some of the key players and matches from this year’s Davis Cup Finals Groups Stage.
Musetti to lead Italian charge
The Italian team will have the home advantage in their group with all of the Group A games set to be played in Bologna. The five-man Italian squad features two doubles specialists in Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavsorri, alongside singles players Matteo Arnaldi, Lorenzo Sonego, and the star man Lorenzo Musetti.
The Italians are drawn in Group A with defending Davis Cup champions Canada but they are without one of their big names as Felix Auger-Aliassime does not make the squad.
The Italians will be looking for revenge in this group after Canada eliminated them in the semifinals last year, and Lorenzo Musetti, who looks to be one of the brightest young stars in tennis at the moment, could be the main to lead them to their first victory since 1976.
Murray back in the fold for Great Britain
Having missed out in 2021, Andy Murray will make it back-to-back appearances for Great Britain at the Davis Cup as he bids to repeat he and his side’s 2015 success.
Murray will compete alongside three other singles specialists in Cam Norrie, Dan Evans and Jack Draper, whilst doubles world number one Neal Skupski will partner up with one of those four for the doubles contests.
The Great Britan squad looks a well-balanced one and Australia looks their toughest test as the only team in Group B to have both a top 15 singles player and a top 15 double player. However, the Brits come here with the extra motivation of failing to qualify from their group last year so won’t want to be leaving the tournament earlier than expected for the second year running.
All guns blazing in Group C
Group C certainly looks the one to watch at this year’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage as both Serbia and Spain find themselves in it; that means only one thing, Novak Djokovic v Carlos Alcaraz.
Serbia and Spain will expect to fill the top two spots in the group, considering they boast the two best players in the world, and Czech Republic and South Korea don’t look to have any way of stopping them.
Spain look to have the more well-rounded squad with three singles players inside the top 50 as well as Marcell Granollers who is ranked 17th in the world for doubles. Serbia don’t have the same squad depth as Spain, tie that in with the fact that Alcaraz got the better of Djokovic on the big stage at Wimbledon and Group C looks like Spain’s to lose.
USA can capitalise on weaker group
Group D does not boast a plethora of top players and the USA team looks to be the pick of the bunch. Their squad looks incredibly well-rounded and they might be in with a chance of going deep into the tournament.
Group D does not look the strongest as Croatia, Finland and Netherlands have just one top 50 singles player between them, and their doubles specialist may find it tough against the USA’s elite doubles pairing.
They look strong in the singles department with Francis Tiafoe and Tommy Paul, who rank 10th and 13th respectively, but the doubles is where they really thrive. Austin Krajicek ranks fourth in the world doubles rankings and he will be partnered by the man just two ranks behind him in Rajeev Ram. With two top singles players, coupled with possibly the best doubles pairing in the competition, team USA look like a force to be reckoned with this year.
