Zverev seals German Davis Cup win

BRISBANE — German No. 1 Alexander Zverev beat Nick Kyrgios in straight sets to give his country a 3-1 win over Australia in its Davis Cup World Group tie here Sunday.

Zverev produced some superb tennis to down Kyrgios 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes.

Zverev served beautifully throughout, only facing two break points in the match, both at the end of the second set and both of which he saved.

He also returned well, getting many of Kyrgios’s thunderbolts back in play and then winning the battle from the back of the court.

Under new Davis Cup rules, the dead rubber between Struff and de Minaur was not played.

Italy wins against Japan

Italy’s No. 1 Fabio Fognini beat Japan’s Yuichi Sugita in five hard-fought sets to give his country a 3-1 victory in their Davis Cup World tie at Morioka in Japan Sunday.

Fognini, ranked 22nd in the world, edged past Sugita 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 in a marathon match lasting four hours and eight minutes to take Italy into the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years.

Japan had hoped to reach the Davis Cup quarterfinals for only the second time after former world number four Kei Nishikori helped them reach the last eight in 2014.

Serbia, Switzerland out

The United States surged to an unbeatable 3-0 lead to eliminate 2010 champions Serbia in the first round of the Davis Cup Saturday.

Joining Serbia at the exit was 2014 winner Switzerland, which was also overwhelmed 3-0 by Kazakhstan after failing to mount much of a challenge in the absence of 20-time grand slam champion Roger Federer.

Holding a 2-0 lead after Friday’s singles, Americans Ryan Harrison and Steve Johnson came from a set down to beat Nikola Milojevic and Miljan Zekic 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in front of a partisan Serbian crowd.

Holders France needs one more victory Sunday to progress to the quarterfinals after Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut earned them a 2-1 lead over the Netherlands following a 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(2) victory over Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer in almost 3-1/2 hours in Albertville.

Belgium, finalists last year, slipped up against Hungary after winning both of Friday’s singles matches. Attila Balazs and Marton Fucsovics kept Hungary’s chances alive with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(2), 4-6, 7-5 win over Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore in Liege.

Croatia mounted a superb comeback in their tie against Canada, with world No. 3 Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodlig roaring back from two sets down to eke out a 2-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 win over Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil for a 2-1 lead.

The Spanish pairing of Feliciano Lopez and Pablo Carreno Busta comfortably beat Britain’s Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) to give them a 2-1 lead. — Agencies