Having a good doubles side really does hold the key when it comes down to the crunch. From Errani and Paolini in the Billie Jean King Cup to now Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson in the Davis Cup Finals as Australia have extinguished USA's hopes in Malaga.
The Americans were eliminated despite the good form of their World No.1 Taylor Fritz. The World No.4 who reached the final on Sunday at the ATP Finals in Turin did his job and won his point against Alex de Minaur. Albeit Ben Shelton twice and Tommy Paul did not do the same.
Shelton lost in the first singles of the day in dramatic fashion to Thanasi Kokkinakis after 11 match points. He then turned to partnering fellow compatriot Tommy Paul against Jordan Thompson and Matthew Ebden. But they were well beaten 6-4, 6-4.
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Perhaps a puzzling decision given that Bob Bryan who captains the side is in fact a former doubles star himself. He had Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram sat waiting to play and initially pencilled in.
But instead of going for two doubles stars who are pretty adept to the format, they allowed two singles players to jump in to face two doubles pros. The result was a pretty easy defeat as Ebden who comically played singles against Novak Djokovic at the Olympic Games only excelling in that format.
While Jordan Thompson is a dual threat. Both reached the ATP Finals. The former is a regular partner of Max Purcell who was sacrificed in the side for Alex de Minaur who confirmed he could play fairly late on.
Bryan's reasoning for getting rid was simple and that was due to poor form among other things. Albeit they have won one of their last eight games. Lleyton Hewitt's gamble has paid off and they are into the semi-finals for the third consecutive year. Next up could be defending champions Italy flanked by Jannik Sinner or Argentina.
🚨 Australia defeats Team USA in the doubles decider!
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 21, 2024
Ebden/Thompson oust Shelton/Paul 6-4, 6-4 in a strong performance. 💪#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/DxYxweljdm
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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