2021 Davis Cup Finals nation preview: Russia
IN November, the 2021 Davis Cup takes place across three cities in Europe as 18 teams aim to lift the ultimate international men’s team prize. Six groups of three sees the group winner automatically advancing to the knockout quarter finals, with the two next best nations also moving through. In the lead-up to the event, Rookie Me Central will be previewing each of the nations in reverse world ranking order.
RUSSIA
Rank: 13th
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev
SQUAD
GROUP FIXTURES
Group A:
vs. Ecuador | November 27
vs. Spain | November 28
Forget world rankings, the 13th ranked Russia is one of, if not the genuine favourite for the upcoming 2021 Davis Cup finals. The European nation has been the booming nation alongside Italy in recent years, and with the side jam-packed full of talent – including two Top 10 stars – it is hard not to imagine Russia going deep in the competition. They will blow away Ecuador easily in the first game, and potentially allow the lower ranked Aslan Karatsev and Karen Khachanov a go in singles, who are still ranked inside the Top 30 themselves.
They will take no chances against Spain however, with the reigning champions always a threat despite no Rafael Nadal. The reliable combination of Pablo Carreno Busta and Roberto Bautista Agut provides two Top 20 players, with the exciting and dangerous Carlos Alcaraz set to be a fixture in this team for the next decade and a half. From Russia’s perspective, they have US Open inner Daniil Medvedev and two of the bolters this season in Andrey Rublev and Karatsev, as well as specialist doubles talent Evgeny Donskoy.
Considering how weak Ecuador is, there is a high chance that both Russia and Spain progress to the next stage, with the two highest ranked second teams making it. In that scenario, the highest ranked one will face off against another second runner-up in their quarter final, whilst the second placed side in this group will ultimately have to come up against an equally talented Canadian outfit. Regardless, expect Russia to move through to the next stage, likely as the group-toppers.
Prediction: 1st in Group A
IN A SENTENCE: “Russia is a stacked group of talents all inside the Top 30, with two Top 10 players including the most in-form star in the world.”
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Picture credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
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