MELBOURNE — Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson gave Australia a 2-0 lead after singles victories Friday over their Czech Republic opponents in a Davis Cup World Group first-round match.
The 22-year-old Thompson made his Davis Cup debut by defeating Czech No. 1 Jiri Veseley 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, finishing the match with an ace. Thompson was called into the team when Australia’s No. 2-ranked player, Bernard Tomic, made himself unavailable for selection.
Kyrgios beat Jan Satral 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the second singles match on hard courts at Kooyong.
In his first match after his second-round Australian Open loss to Andreas Seppi, the 15th-ranked Kyrgios made light work of the world No. 157 Satral. Kyrgios won the first three games of each set but needed six match points to clinch it in 96 minutes.
Thompson broke No. 54 Vesely in the opening game of the match and apart from a slight stumble in the third set, was never in trouble.
“That was huge, to get off to a great start and break first game and then hold, that gave me a lot of confidence,” Thompson said. “It really relaxed me and I really took it from there and sort of ran away with the match.”
Thompson won the men’s doubles title with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Brisbane International, made the second round of the Australian Open singles draw for the first time and has reached a career-high ranking of 65.
Sam Groth and John Peers are expected to play doubles for Australia Saturday against Radek Stepanek and Zdenek Kolar in an effort to clinch the tie before Sunday’s reverse singles.
Peers won the Australian Open doubles title last week with Finland’s Henri Kontinen, beating Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States in the final.
The Australia-Czech winner will play either the United States or Switzerland in the quarterfinals in April — in Switzerland if the Swiss win, in Australia if the Americans advance.
France batters Japan
France took an early stranglehold on its Davis Cup first-round tie against Japan Friday as Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon dominated the opening day’s singles matches.
Former Wimbledon semifinalist Gasquet swept past Taro Daniel 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in Tokyo before Simon overpowered Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to put the visitors firmly in control of the World group clash.
“It was difficult today from the first point,” insisted world number 24 Simon, despite considerable evidence to the contrary.
“I was moving good and hitting well but he wasn’t giving any free points,” he added after giving Yannick Noah’s French team a 2-0 lead.
“Two wins in straight sets, nothing to complain about — but we have to stay ready in the doubles tomorrow.”
World No. 18 Gasquet was gifted victory after two hours when Daniel coughed up a seventh double-fault of the match.
“I’m in great shape. Today was a great match for me,” purred the Frenchman.
Japan never seriously posed a threat in the absence of world number five Kei Nishikori.
The home side’s hopes now hang by a thread and Wimbledon champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut will look to complete the victory when they take on Yuichi Sugita and Yasutaka Uchiyama in Saturday’s doubles.
France has won all three of its previous Davis Cup meetings with Japan, the last of those coming at Roland Garros in 1981.
India leads New Zealand 2-0
Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan on Friday notched up straight-set victories to give India a commanding 2-0 lead over New Zealand in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie in Pune.
The left-handed Bhambri eased past Finn Tearney 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the opener while Ramanathan outplayed Jose Statham 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the second singles match.
The 414-ranked Tearney proved little match to Bhambri, ranked 368, whose aggressive net play combined with excellent returns gave the hosts a great start at Pune's Balewadi Sports Complex.
Bhambri, 24, trailed the first set 1-3 before winning four straight games against a faltering Tearney on the hard court surface.
Bhambri was down 0-2 in the second set but he once again made a quick recovery to overturn the lead and there was no looking back for the home favorite.
The 276-ranked Ramanathan then took to the court against Statham, who holds a singles rank of 417, to keep up India's dominance in the first round.
Ramanathan, 22, produced quality tennis as he served with great speed and angle to outplay his opponent in what turned out to be a lopsided affair.
Ramanathan served 15 aces in comparison to Statham's three in the one hour 52 minute encounter.
India has not lost to New Zealand in the Davis Cup since 1978 when the visitors beat it 4-1 in Delhi during the Eastern Zone semifinal.
Indian great Leander Paes, eying his record 43rd doubles win in the Davis Cup, and Vishnu Vardhan will clash with Kiwi pair Artem Sitak and Michael Venus on day two Saturday. — Agencies
