09/17/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/17/2021 07:49
Petros Tsitsipas will take on Ricardas Berankis in the opening match of the Davis Cup by Rakuten World Group II tie between Greece and Lithuania in Heraklion.
It will be a first meeting between Tsitsipas, the world No.730, who has won all three of the Davis Cup singles matches he has contested, and Berankis, the former Junior US Open champion and world No.50, who has an impressive 28-8 singles win-loss record in Davis Cup.
The second singles match will see Michail Pervolarakis, the 25-year-old world No.484, play Laurynas Grigelis, who has been a stalwart of Lithuania's Davis Cup team, playing 25 ties over a 13-year period.
Pervolarakis and Petros Tsitsipas will team up in the doubles against Edas Butvilas and Vilius Gaubas.
If Lithuania win this weekend they are guaranteed a place in the World Group I play-offs, if Greece take victory they will only advance to the 2022 World Group I Play-offs if seven nations ranked above them lose.
The team which loses this weekend will compete in the World Group II Play-offs in February 2022 alongside the 10 nations earning promotion from the Regional Group III events.
The full draw is as follows:
Petros Tsitsipas (GRE) v Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) v Laurynas Grigelis (LTU)
Michail Pervolarakis (GRE)/Petros Tsitsipas (GRE) v Edas Butvilas (LTU)/Vilius Gaubas (LTU)
Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) v Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
Petros Tsitsipas (GRE) v Laurynas Grigelis (LTU)