ITF

20 ITFWORLD SPRING 2016 They did stay — and Viktor Troicki was suitably inspired to win the fifth rubber. It all sets up the wonderful prospect of a Serbia-GB tie just a week after the world's top two, Murray and Djokovic, might even have met in the final of Wimbledon. Both are also on a ten-match Davis Cup winning singles streak. Er, something just has to give. Something had to give too in the collision between the two most storied Davis Cup nations, with 60 titles between them. Ultimately, it was the USA that prevailed 3-1 in the 46th meeting with Australia on the grass at Melbourne's historic Kooyong Club — but only after home captain Lleyton Hewitt ended just about the briefest retirement in tennis history — six weeks — to try to save the day. Hewitt, whose Australian Open appearance had been his swansong, brought himself into the doubles with John Peers after Nick Kyrgios pulled out with illness only for the evergreen Bryan brothers to spoil any potential fairytale. Then big John Isner took over, cracking Tomic's resolve in the decisive singles with 49 aces. One was timed at 253kmh (157.2mph), the quickest delivery ever in any ATP tour- level match or Davis Cup contest. The Americans secured a home quarterfinal with Croatia, who found a new Cup hero in 19-year-old Borna Coric, who reckoned he had overcome a few nerves before winning the deciding rubber against Kimmer Coppejans in straight sets to knock out last year's finalists Belgium in Liege. He never showed any jitters, though. "I'm very young it's true — but I'm a big fighter," smiled the boy from Zagreb who, according DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS Andreas Seppi contributed to Italy's clean sweep over Switzerland New Aussie captain Lleyton Hewitt on the bench with Bernard Tomic Croatia knocked out 2015 finalists Belgium Tomas Berdych had to retire from the fourth rubber but the Czechs won in the fifth

• Cover