Pair win doubles match in straight sets
Finals are in Bologna in November
Few people across London enjoyed a more soothing night’s sleep than Leon Smith on Saturday. After an ideal first day for his team in their Davis Cup qualifier against Ecuador, where his singles players both did their jobs, the Great Britain Davis Cup captain had the luxury of calling upon two of the very best doubles players in the world to close out the tie.
In just their second match as partners rather than rivals, the world No 1, Henry Patten, and Neal Skupski, the US Open champion a week ago, played their roles to perfection as they convincingly sealed Great Britain’s place in the Davis Cup Final 8 with a clinical 6-3, 6-4 victory over Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, earning Great Britain a 3-0 win in the tie.
