The USA began their Davis Cup group stage in emphatic fashion and captain Bob Bryan was very pleased.
The record 32-time winners of the team competition began their latest campaign against Chile and they dug out three important wins to seal a 3-0 victory.
Reilly Opelka, Brandon Nakashima and the doubles team of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram represented their country against the South American nation.
They produced some excellent tennis to deliver a clean sweep to commence the Davis Cup group stage on a winning note and captain Bryan is delighted with his team’s performance.
What did Bob Bryan say about USA’s Davis Cup group stage win?
The day began with Opelka facing off against Christian Garin and he claimed a tight 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3) win, during which he fired 27 aces.
Nakashima followed his compatriot by completing a 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-6(3) victory after two hours, 44 minutes in humid conditions in Zhuhai.
2024 Olympic Games silver medalists Krajicek and Ram also needed three sets to win their match against Tomas Barrios Vera and Matias Soto. They saved four of five break points in a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory.
Following his team’s impressive results, Bryan was pleased with how his team were able to win each match, all of which went to final set tie breaks, which is a rare feat.
“It was truly an epic day of tennis for both teams,” the doubles legend said via ATP.com. “Everyone showed a lot of heart, a lot of guts. Hats off to the Chileans. Hats off to our guys who were really digging deep, especially in the big moments.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened in the Davis Cup that all matches went to the third-set breaker… historic day. Just feeling very, very proud of the players.”
Who will Team USA play next in the Davis Cup?
Team USA are in group C in the Davis Cup along with Chile, Slovakia and Germany.
All the matches will take place at the Hengqin International Tennis Center in Zhuhai, China.
The United States will next be in action on Friday when they take on Slovakia, while Chile will face Germany on Thursday.
Playing in his first Davis Cup, Nakashima said: “It feels amazing. It was my first ever Davis Cup win and to do it like that was super special.
“To get the win for the team was super important. I was really happy with the way I was playing.”
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