“Epic Win: Kokkinakis Powers Aussies to the Brink of Davis Cup Glory!”

Australia’s Tennis Titans on the Brink of Davis Cup Finals After Crushing Czech Republic in Valencia

 

Australia’s men’s tennis team is on the brink of another shot at Davis Cup glory after a dominating 3-0 sweep against a weakened Czech Republic in Valencia, their second group-stage win in just three days.

 

Led by captain Lleyton Hewitt, the Aussies, who have been runners-up in the World Cup of men’s tennis for the past two years, are now heavily favored to secure a spot in the ‘final-eight’ showdown in Malaga this November. Following their 2-1 victory over France, the Australians faced a much less challenging Czech side on Thursday, who were plagued by injuries and illness.

 

Thanasi Kokkinakis, chosen once again by Hewitt for the No.2 singles spot, delivered a strong performance on the indoor hard court, overcoming the unpredictable power of rising teenage star Jakub Mensik with an impressive 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 victory.

 

The Czech resistance crumbled quickly in the second match when their No.1, Tomas Machac, retired just eight minutes in due to injury. Machac, who had cramped up in his loss to Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday, was unable to continue against Alexei Popyrin, gifting Australia a 2-0 lead.

 

Hewitt called it “a perfect day” as his reliable doubles team of Matt Ebden and Max Purcell easily defeated Mensik and Adam Pavlasek 6-4 6-2, solidifying their Davis Cup record together at 8-1 and sealing the crucial victory.

 

“Thanasi was fantastic in the first match,” Hewitt said, praising his decision to select Kokkinakis over the higher-ranked Jordan Thompson. Kokkinakis, ranked No.78 in the world, provided the perfect follow-up to his straight-sets win against France’s Arthur Fils earlier in the week.

 

Mensik, the 19-year-old Czech talent ranked No.67, put up a fight by taking the second set, but Kokkinakis responded with 19 aces to control the final set and claim the victory.

 

The second match quickly turned into a farce as Machac, clearly unfit to play with a heavily strapped right calf, required medical attention after losing the first game. He retired after just nine points, leaving Popyrin with an easy win.

 

The Czechs, down to just four players, were forced to play Machac due to a last-minute illness sidelining their No.2 singles player, Jiri Lehecka.

 

With this victory, Hewitt’s team is in a commanding position to advance to the eight-team finals, with one group match remaining against Spain, led by Alcaraz, on Sunday.

 

If Spain defeats France on Friday, Australia’s place in Malaga will be secured. However, a slim possibility remains that a French whitewash of Spain, followed by a 3-0 Czech victory over Spain and a 3-0 loss by Australia to Alcaraz’s squad, could still derail the Aussies’ hopes.