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Australia claims ATP Cup tie over Greece after thrilling match-tiebreak win in doubles leg

By WWOS staff

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Australia takes Greece tie after doubles win

John Peers and Luke Saville have prevailed 10-5 in the match-deciding tiebreak to give Australia a 2-1 win over Greece in their ATP Cup tie.

Brilliant play from the Australian pair, who started the tiebreaker off in brilliant fashion when they took an early lead.

There was a bit of a nervous moment when Greece closed the Australian lead to 6-4, but Australia would go 4-1 from that moment on to claim the leg and the tie.

Peers and Saville showed tremendous emotion throughout the contest, but particularly in that match tiebreaker where the Greek pair looked a little flat after taking a massive break.

"Personally, it was a massive privilege and honour to put on the green and gold," Saville tells Nine's Todd Woodbridge after the match.

"The other three boys as well as Rusty, probably the greatest Davis Cup player in our history, have all represented Australia on numerous occasions.

"We brought great energy tonight and this is a huge buzz for me. I've been working extremely hard with my team over the past few months and years, so this is for everyone who has supported me."

"Every time you play for the green and gold it's always great fun and when you can play with your mates who you have known for years, it's even more fun," John Peers adds.

"Aussies never say die so it's great fun to give ourselves a chance and thanks for everyone who stayed around."

Greece sends doubles clash to tiebreak

Australia's ATP Cup tie with Greece will be decided in a tiebreaker as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Michael Pervolarakis take out the second set.

Some lacklustre plays from the Australian pair in that set, particularly on their own service games.

It finishes 6-4 to the Greek pair. Strap yourselves in because we're in for a thrilling finish!

Aussies claim first set in doubles

The clock may have just ticked past 11pm local time, but John Peers and Luke Saville are bringing the energy out here!

There's a huge roar in the stadium as the pair breaks Pervolarakis and Tsitsipas to take out the opening set 6-3.

Can they finish the job in the second set or will the Greek pair force the match into a 10-point tiebreak situation?

Aussies, Greeks clash in doubles

Australia's doubles match against Greece is now underway, which has pitted John Peers and Luke Saville against Stefano Tsitsipas and Michael Pervolarakis.

While Australia are no longer a chance of winning the ATP Cup, they can salvage pride from claiming victory in the doubles fixture to win the tie against Greece.

Australian John Millman trumped Michael Pervolarakis to hand Australia a 1-0 lead, but Tsitsipas then beat Australia's Alex de Minaur to level the scoreline and set up a decider in the doubles.

Australia had to win the tie 3-0 to be a chance of advancing.

Aussies crash out of ATP Cup

Australia's hopes of clinching the ATP Cup title are now dashed after Alex de Minaur fought valiantly but lost in straight sets to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Australia still have one match remaining in their ATP Cup tie with Greece, a doubles fixture between Australians John Peers and Luke Saville and tourists Tsitsipas and Michail Pervolarakis, but they had to win 3-0 to have a chance of advancing.

That was their task after losing their tie with Spain on Tuesday night despite the away side being without 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal due to a stiff lower back.

In De Minaur's clash with Tsitsipas, the youngster was twice on a set point in the second set and showcased exceptional defence late in the match to prevail in a 25-shot rally, but he ultimately fell in a 3-6, 5-7 defeat.

"It was a brilliant match," Tsitsipas said in a post-match interview with Sam Groth on Nine.

"We both gave everything we had out there and we put on a good show.

"I think it was a really good match for me. I managed to stay calm and resilient - and I had to. I was able to fight for every single point and I was trying to take my opportunities."

De Minaur's defence holds firm in epic rally

Australian Alex de Minaur has showcased exceptional defence to trump Greek Stefano Tsitsipas in a 25-shot rally late in the second set.

Tsitsipas tested the world No.23 relentlessly, constricting him to the base-line with powerful strokes and launching penetrating forearm shots as de Minaur crept up to the net.

But de Minaur repelled the world No.6 time and again.

De Minaur drops first set to star Greek

Australia's ATP Cup title dreams plummeted further as youngster Alex de Minaur crashed to a 3-6 opening-set loss to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.

John Millman had done his bit for Australia in defeating Michail Pervolarakis 6-2, 6-3, and de Minaur must now beat Tsitsipas for his country to advance on the second day of the ATP Cup.

Tsitsipas broke serve as he cannoned out to a 3-0 lead, and while de Minaur fought back to 3-2, the world No.23's serve was then broken again.

De Minaur let himself down with a string of unforced errors.

Australia's ATP Cup campaign got off to a terrible start as they fell to Spain 3-0 on Tuesday night, despite the tourists being without world No.2 Rafael Nadal.

Can they force a revival?

Kyrgios prevails after thrilling tiebreak

Nick Kyrgios is through to the third round of the Murray River Open after a thrilling second-set tiebreak against fellow Australian Harry Bourchier.

It finishes 6-2 7-6, as he fights off three set points from Bourchier to finally put the plucky world no. 324 away.

As per usual with Kyrgios, the match will be overshadowed by that brief stoppage in the second set after he was called for a time violation.

However, it must be said that the 25-year-old played some exceptional tennis on either side of the stoppage and appeared to be a little hard done by when he was called for the time violation by the chair umpire.

Kyrgios calls for supervisor after violation

Drama here on the court, Nick Kyrgios has walked off and is refusing to play until a supervisor comes onto the court after the chair umpire, called a time violation on his serve.

It appears that Kyrgios was well and truly into his service motion when the umpire called the violation.

Here is how the exchange went down:

Supervisor Cedric Mourier eventually makes his way out on the the court and Kyrgios asks repeatedly whether he will cop a fine for this latest drama.

"Tennis isn't about (the chair umpire)," he says.

"He's an extra to make all this s--t go smoothly, so why is he doing this?"

It's fair to say that Bourchier is a bit annoyed at the stoppage too as he asks Kyrgios why he couldn't discuss the issue later.

Kyrgios says in no uncertain terms exactly why he wanted to discuss it now.

"I've lost enough money to these peanuts," he says.

Kyrgios applauds brilliant Bourchier stroke

Credit to Harry Bourchier, who has come out to play in this second set when he could have easily gone into his shell after Kyrgios came out on fire in the opener.

He's shown over these two matches that he's a capable ball-striker as well and he showcases it to brilliant effect here with an outrageous return on Kyrgios' serve.

"Very good," Kyrgios says, applauding as Bourchier lashes a forehand return back past him for a winner.

Kyrgios has held himself to some high standards today and he's not happy with his own play in this second set, constantly talking to himself and to his box.

"Am I playing futures or something?" he asks his box after another error.