Agency :
Australia set up a Davis Cup semi-final clash with defending champions Italy as doubles pair Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson sealed victory against the United States on Thursday.
Olympic champion Ebden and Thompson beat surprise pairing Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton 6-4 6-4 to put Lleyton Hewitt’s side into their third successive semifinal of the men’s team event.
They will now have the opportunity to avenge last year’s final defeat by Italy after world number one Jannik Sinner inspired the holders to a 2-1 victory over Argentina.
The US were slight favorites going into a battle between the two most successful nations in the competition’s history, but Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis beat debutant Shelton 6-1 4-6 7-6(14) in the opening singles after saving four match points.
World number four Taylor Fritz then levelled it up with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Alex de Minaur to send the tie to the doubles.
American captain Bob Bryan sprung a surprise as he opted against sending out Olympic runners-up Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek and instead gambled on Shelton and Paul to try and get the 32-times champions to their first semifinal since 2018.
But his plan backfired as Ebden and US Open winner Thompson’s greater doubles craft proved decisive.
“As a captain you have to make tough decisions. This wasn’t a black-and-white decision. It was razor-thin edge and we went with it,” Bryan said.
After Italy’s women claimed the Billie Jean King Cup title in Malaga on Wednesday, the country’s men will now be favorites to make it a momentous double for the nation. Sinner, who won two of the year’s four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals last week, was under pressure after Francisco Cerundolo gave Argentina the lead with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Lorenzo Musetti.
But he responded with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Sebastian Baez before returning to court inside the Martin Carpena Arena to join forces with Matteo Berrettini.
