Bob Bryan and Team USA Make Quick Work of the Ukraine

Davis Cup Captain Bob Bryan and Team USA were too hot to handle for Ukraine, as they earned a dominant 4-0 victory in the 2024 Davis Cup Qualifiers.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the country was unable to host the United States and instead held the tie at the SEB Arena in Vilnius, Lithuania, on February 1-2.

Opening play for the United States was world #34 Sebastian Korda, who grabbed the opening set 6-3 before dropping the second set 6-7(3) against world #342 Oleksii Krutykh. Going down 2-1 before quickly regrouping, Korda would reel off three consecutive games and ultimately take the third set 6-4 to clinch the first point for the USA.

Following his compatriot's gutsy performance was Davis Cup debutant and world #33, Christopher Eubanks, who replaced an injured Taylor Fritz to take on Viacheslav Bielinskyi. The Georgia Tech alum was rock solid from start to finish, hitting 19 winners and seven aces to earn a commanding 6-3, 6-2 win.

On the second day of competition, the United States only needed one more point to clinch the tie and earn a berth in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage.

Stepping up to the plate, under the direction of Team USA doubles coach Mike Bryan, were Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram, who are ranked in the world's top five in doubles. The first two sets against Illya Beloborodko and Oleksii Krutykh were tight, with Krajicek and Ram taking the first set 6-3 before dropping the second set 4-6. Switching gears in the third, the US tandem took a quick 5-2 lead before closing the match 6-3 and punching Team USA's ticket to the Finals Group Stage.

With the match decided, a now healthy and rested Taylor Fritz further sweetened Team USA's victory with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Vladyslav Orlov to complete the sweep.

In his first full year at the helm, captain Bob was ecstatic with the outcome, raving about his team's performance while also paying respect to Team Ukraine's determination and gusto:

"I'm proud of the guys. I love spending time with them. A terrific bunch of kids. They played great this week. The Ukrainians put up some tough resistance at times. They fought hard until the last ball, but our guys were solid, and they really brought it. I thought we played outstanding tennis," Bryan said. Sportskeeda

It is clear from the results that Bob and Mike are steering Team USA in the right direction. The Bryans, who competed in more than 30 ties throughout their famed career, bring a wealth of invaluable knowledge and experience to the team.

Now with their sights set on the Finals Group Stage, Team USA will join 15 other qualifying nations from September 10-12 at four to-be-determined sites across the globe, with four teams competing at each location in a round-robin format. Two winners from each site will qualify for the Final 8, which will be held from November 19-24 in Malaga, Spain.