Russian tennis players put on a superb display at the ATP Cup group stage, breezing through all of their matches and reaching the knockout phase of the newly-introduced tournament.
On Tuesday, the Russian squad sealed their third straight victory, beating Norway in the singles and doubles events.
The team’s pace was set by Karen Khachanov, who had no trouble with Viktor Durasovic, defeating him with a crushing score of 6-2, 6-1.
World number five Daniil Medvedev extended Russia’s lead with a dominant performance against Casper Ruud, 6-3, 7-6.
Teymuraz Gabashvili and Konstantin Kravchuk cemented the team’s victory, beating Durasovic and Ruud in two sets 7-6, 6-4.
Earlier, the Russian squad, which is captained by two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin, defeated Teams Italy (3-0) and USA (2-1).
In the quarterfinals, Russia will face the winner of group E, which includes Argentina, Poland, Croatia, and Austria.
The inaugural tournament, with $15mn in prize money, will conclude on Sunday.