Millman Gives Australia Early Lead; Tsitsipas Plays De Minaur Next At ATP Cup

John Millman put Australia in pole position on Wednesday to win its Group B tie against Greece in Melbourne. The World No. 38 beat Michail Pervolarakis of Greece for the second consecutive year at the ATP Cup, winning 6-2, 6-3 in 81 minutes.

“I was expecting a really tough match, and it wasn't smooth sailing,” said Millman, who beat Pervolarakis 7-6(1) in a deciding set tie-break last year. “Last year… he really took it to me, so I thought I was probably a little bit more prepared this time around and just happy to get a bit of court time.

“It's my favourite thing, putting on the green and gold and playing for your country. I love team competition. [It] probably started off as a kid when I was playing school tennis and now I get to represent my country. It's really special, not just to be around the boys and the team set-up, but to really be able to identify with the rest of the Australians cheering you on. It's a really special and humbling experience.”

Alex de Minaur will next look to give Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead with victory over World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second singles match on Rod Laver Arena. The host nation lost to Spain on Tuesday.

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Millman, who lost to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta on Tuesday, broke serve twice in the 37-minute opener, which ended with Pervolarakis overhitting a forehand. The Australian broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set when Pervolarakis, who was particularly strong at the net throughout, struck a forehand approach wide.

New balls initially threw Millman when he first served for the match at 5-3 in the second set. The 31-year-old was forced to recover from 15/40, hitting an ace and a forehand down the line to get to Deuce. Millman closed out when Pervolarakis hit a forehand return long.

Reflecting on the final game, Millman said, “It's the toughest thing when you probably haven't played for a little bit [and] haven't been under those match pressures for a while and you're serving it out. I played probably a couple little loose points early on, but managed to execute towards the end there.”

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3cxXv53