ATP Cup 2020: Russia advance to the semi-finals

Russia defeated Argentina in the ATP Cup to advance to the semi-finals where they will face either Serbia or Canada. They are the second team to advance to the semis after Australia did so earlier today.

Although Argentina and Russia are currently playing their doubles match, the Russian's victories in both the Singles games mean that it is mathematically impossible for the Argentines to win.

Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov are the two stars of Russian tennis. The youngsters emerged over the last couple of years and have had considerable success in the time, especially Medvedev, who reached the US Open final last year.

Although Russia raced to an unassailable 2-0 lead against Argentina, predicting the winnner during the initial match between Medvedev and Schwartzman wasn't straightforward. The Russian was pushed to 3 sets and did not look in control throughout much of the match and had his serve broken on several occasions by the Argentine.

Nevertheless, Medvedev managed to edge Schwartzman in the end, winning 6-4 4-6 6-3.

Khachanov had an easier time in his match against Guido Pella and defeated the player ranked 25th in the world in straight sets. The Russian raced to a 1-0 lead, winning the first set 6-2, before being forced into a tie-break in the second, which Khachanov won 7-4.

As mentioned above, Argentina and Russia are facing each other in a doubles match, however, it is inconsequential due to Russia's unbeatable 2-0 lead. Russia will face a tough opponent in their semi-final fixture.

With Serbia and Canada battling for their place in the semi-finals to meet Russia, we can all expect a high-quality fixture.