REIGNING Davis Cup champions Russia head into the 2022 ATP Cup as tournament favourites, but have not copped the easiest run on the way to the final. They have some stiff competition against an outstanding Italian outfit, and the knockout stage also could see them face Germany who reached the semis of the Davis Cup without their top star in Alexander Zverev who is back for this tournament.

2022 RUSSIA TEAM

Daniil Medvedev
Andrey Rublev
Aslan Karatsev
Roman Safiullin
Evgeny Donskoy

Russia is a nation that could very easily go all the way in the ATP Cup, with a star-studded side across both the singles and doubles formats. Already from the Davis Cup title it was evident that Team Russia was a threat, with world number two Medvedev not dropping a match all tournament, and second singles player Rublev only losing the one match. Though his form wavered at times, he picked it up for the knockout stage of the tournament, and complements Medvedev well for the singles.

The major change to the side was the inclusion of Safiullin instead of Karen Khachanov, with the 24-year-old ranked 167th in the world in singles. Having never cracked the Top 150, it was a surprise move, but it is more about Khachanov wanting guaranteed court minutes rather than playing as the fourth singles player. With Karatsev able to assist Donskoy in the doubles, Khachanov can have a greater individual preparation in the lead-up to the Australian Open.

Overall, Russia should at the very least escape the group stage. Though not a foregone conclusion having landed Italy in Group B, Russia will not have any issues with Austria or Australia one would think. Then it will be either a Zverev-led Germany or the Canadian duo of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov waiting in the semi-finals. With Serbia almost guaranteed a softer run to the final, fans could well see a Medvedev-Novak Djokovic clash in the team tournament.

Prediction: 1st in Group B