The ATP Cup for tennis is about to start in Australia. Italy among the favorites

The AGI – 2022 tennis starts with the third race of the ATP Cup from 9 January in Australia. Italy, after a defeat in the final against Russia in 2021, is setting the starting line with new winning goals, aiming to redeem a bitter defeat in the Davis Cup semi-finals played last December in Turin.

The competition formula is very simple: 16 participants are divided into 4 Italian groups, each with 4 national teams. After the Group 3 game, the first place finisher will advance to the semi-finals, the only final and the trophy.

Azzurri, led by captain Vincenzo Santopadre, will take the field on the Sydney hard field against Russia, France and the Australian hosts, with the first opponents making their debut on 2 January. Transalpines replaced Austria, which withdrew after the defeat of Thiem and Novak.

Each match is divided into two singles games, where expedition number one and number two are in use, as well as doubles. Italy presents itself in a typical line-up or two world rankings, Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner and Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini ready to play doubles (but here’s a chance to see different pairs with Sinner or Berrettin). Complete the team Lorenzo Sonego, ready to take over in case of problems, injuries or fatigue. Each match is played in the best of three sets.

Australia, led by Hewitt, bets De Minaur, Duckworth, Purcell, Peers and Saville; France, the game scheduled to play on the night of January 3rd and 4th, will rely instead Humbert, Arthur Rinderknech, Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Fabrice Martin. Finally, Russia, in the final round of the first stage on January 6, without Rublev, Karatsev and Kachanov, has only three players: Medvedev, Safiullin and Karlovsk.

On the eve of the most popular national teams, we cannot fail to mention Zverev and Struff’s Germany, Carreno Busta and Bautista Agut’s Spain, Norrie and Evans ’UK, Isner and Fritz’s USA and Auger’s Canada. Aliassime and Shapovalov. Instead, keep an eye on Argentina, Norway and Poland under Schwartzman, Ruud and Hurkacz.

The competition, with a prize pool of approximately $ 14 million, is also important for the ATP ranking, with a maximum of 750 points awarded in doubles and 250 points in doubles.