By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday December 5, 2021
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev were flawless in their sweep of Croatia in Sunday's Davis Cup final.
Photo Source: Getty
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev earned straight set wins to guide Russia to its first Davis Cup title since 2006 on Sunday, sweeping past Croatia to complete a dominant finish to the 2021 tennis season.
The victory caps an incredible season for Russian tennis. Russia, which also won the Billie Jean King Cup title in November, became the 4th nation to win both Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup titles in the same year; the nation also become the 5th nation to win both Davis Cup and Junior Davis Cup titles in the same year.
It should be mentioned that Russia started the 2021 season by winning the ATP Cup, with Medvedev clinching the title by defeating Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in straight sets in the final.
Through group play, which began last week in Madrid, Russia won 11 of 13 rubbers, losing only one live rubber when Feliciano Lopez defeated Andrey Rublev during Russia’s 2-1 win over Spain.
Russia went 9-1 in singles rubbers, with Medvedev completing a banner 2021 season that saw him win his first major title by going 5-0 and winning all ten sets he played.
Rublev went 4-1 in singles and kicked off the day in style by battling past upstart Borna Gojo, 6-4, 7-6(5). It had been an eye-opening Davis Cup for the World No.279, who notched wins over Alexei Popyrin, Lorenzo Sonego and Dusan Lajovic to help 2018 and two-time champion Croatia push into their third Davis Cup final in the last five seasons.
Gojo battled with Rublev, cracking 15 aces and saving seven of eight break points, but Rublev was up to the task. The Russian never faced a break point and cracked 18 winners to nine for Gojo as he won in one hour and 33 minutes.
Medvedev never surrendered a break, saving the only break point he faced, as he pushed past Cilic in one hour and 28 minutes. The Russian won a first-set tiebreak then earned his only break of the match to lead 3-1 in the second set. He never looked back, finishing with 11 winners and 10 unforced errors to send Russia to its third Davis Cup final and end the season on yet another high note.