It was a breathless game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea and Liverpool played out an entertaining 2-2 draw that saw Manchester City emerge as the biggest winners.
An exciting encounter that many will say was a great advert for the Premier League was in reality more an example of why there is unlikely to be any excitement in this year's title race.
Both teams showed immense quality at times, especially in scoring their goals, but also evidenced numerous weaknesses that simply do not exist at City, or at least not to the same extent, though it must be said that both were missing key players through suspension, injury and/or COVID-19 – or were just dropped for talking too much.
The headlines were already being written as the visitors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with the Blues' star striker Romelu Lukaku missing from the squad after recent comments that displeased his manager Thomas Tuchel.
But Chelsea came back to level up before half-time without the Belgium international to prove that perhaps they are actually better off without him.
It is something that bears exploring more broadly across the game. Is the impact of number nine's slightly overrated? Tottenham have been unable to win a trophy despite having Harry Kane in their ranks, while Borussia Dortmund seldom look like troubling Bayern Munich even though they have the much sought after Erling Haaland to call on.
Also, for all the talk about how desperately they needed a superstar striker in the summer after Sergio Aguero left, City sit ten points clear at the top of the table with only Gabriel Jesus as a recognised number nine in their ranks, and he rarely plays there himself these days anyway.
Kai Havertz played the role of striker for Chelsea here, as he did for much of last season when they won the Champions League, and though he did not have much impact himself, Tuchel's fluid formation seemed to enable Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante to dominate on the ball from deep in a way they sometimes struggle to when Lukaku is leading the line.
Chelsea have played 13 league games with Lukaku this season and eight without. While their win percentage is better with him (61.5) than without (50), they score 2.5 goals per game when he is not there compared to 1.9 when he is.
Despite two goals going in against Liverpool, they still only concede 0.5 goals per game on average when Lukaku does not feature, and 0.9 per game when he does.
When the former Everton and Manchester United striker said that Tuchel does not play in a way that suits him, it is almost certainly correct given how the team overall appears to function better without the striker, but also calls into question why Chelsea decided to spend close to nine figures on him in the first place.
As for Liverpool, boss Jurgen Klopp will have been watching from home after testing positive for COVID-19 satisfied with the score after 26 minutes, but concerned to see that once again, his men were unable to hold onto a lead.
It was the fifth time in the league this season that the Reds have dropped points from a winning position (also against Brentford, Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham) and it almost certainly extinguished any faint hopes they will have had of pegging City back in the title race, now sitting 11 points behind with a solitary game in hand.
Liverpool allowed 15 shots at their goal, with Irish stopper Caoimhin Kelleher making some excellent saves to keep his team in it after stepping in for Alisson Becker (COVID-19), and although Chelsea's goals from Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic were expertly taken, they felt like they had been coming such was the visitors' inability to put their foot on the ball and calm things down.
This was something that set them apart when they ran away with the Premier League title in 2019-20, their penchant for killing a game off once they went ahead. They missed the influence of the injured Thiago Alcantara in the midfield, and arguably still have a bit of a Georginio Wijnaldum-shaped hole after the ever-reliable Dutchman left for Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season.
Up top, they were looking as good as ever, with early goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah seemingly putting them in control. Mane did well to round Edouard Mendy and fire home seconds after Mason Mount had failed to do the same at the other end, while Salah was sumptuous as he dribbled past Marcos Alonso and caressed the ball in at Mendy's near post to make it two.
Klopp will undoubtedly miss the dynamic duo as they now head off to the Africa Cup of Nations, with Salah in particular in the form of his life, getting his 16th league goal of the campaign and his 150th in all competitions in English football.
Mane actually ended a dry spell here, having gone nine games without a goal in all competitions. Senegal will be pleased at least that he seemed to have his spark back at Stamford Bridge, but with back-ups Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi currently injured and Roberto Firmino out with COVID-19, Klopp will perhaps have to get quite creative to fill the huge void Mane and Salah will leave for the next few weeks.
Both managers have selection headaches on the horizon, but after another weekend in which everything possible went the way of Pep Guardiola, the likelihood is that those selection headaches will only be in an effort to ultimately clinch second spot in this year's Premier League.
Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders insists the Reds deserve credit for their determination in challenging circumstances following the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
The visitors claimed a share of the spoils after an entertaining encounter at Stamford Bridge, despite the hosts recovering from 2-0 down before half-time.
Lijnders took charge of the 2019-20 Premier League champions in the absence of manager Jurgen Klopp, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
Alisson, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip also missed the trip to London for the same reason, while Andrew Robertson was suspended.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – who both netted for the Reds – were playing their final match before linking up with Egypt and Senegal respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations.
And Lijnders hailed the character demonstrated by his players.
"It is never boring with us. [There was] incredible intensity from the start with both teams," he told Sky Sports.
"We would have wanted more control. We had so many good counter-attacks, but it was just missing the last pass.
"Overall, for the public, it must have been an unbelievable game. The situation we are in, it is a big compliment for the team. We could have made a lot of excuses for today, but our boys fought hard with all the heart they have.
"We want to approach each game like it is a final. In each game we play, whoever is wearing the shirt or on the bench, we are showing this character."
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson concurred that his team-mates can be proud of their efforts against the Blues.
"Chelsea are a good team, and we gave it everything," he told Match of the Day. "The lads showed heart in defending and nearly got the reward towards the end on the counter-attack.
"We are disappointed with the two goals close to half-time.
"We reacted the right way in the second half; we dug in, defended well as a team and on another day, we might have found a winner.
"Stamford Bridge is always a difficult place to come, so we take a point and move on."
Cesar Azpilicueta says Liverpool forward Sadio Mane should have been sent off for catching the Chelsea captain in the face just six seconds into the 2-2 draw on Sunday.
Mane was shown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor after his arm struck the Blues defender as they attempted to jump for a header at Stamford Bridge.
Forward Mane went on to score the opening goal following a mistake from Trevoh Chalobah and Mohamed Salah put the Reds 2-0 up in the Premier League battle between second and third.
Chelsea were back on level terms just before half-time following two goals in the space of four minutes, Mateo Kovacic reducing the deficit with a sublime volley and Christian Pulisic equalising.
Neither side could conjure up a winner in a pulsating contest, so Manchester City hold a 10-point lead over the Blues and Liverpool are a further point adrift with a game in hand.
Azpilicueta is in no doubt Mane was fortunate not to be given his marching orders in what was his last game before departing for Africa Cup of Nations duty.
The defender told Sky Sports: "A clear red. I don't mind if it is five seconds into the game, it is a red. I don't understand – we have had these kind of decisions the other day.
"It is a clear red card. We are getting these decisions against us and it can change the way of the game.
"I watched the replay but I didn't need this because live I knew it was a red.
"We had to fight our way back. We left everything on the pitch but it was not enough.
"Both teams had their moments. When they were 2-0 up they think they have a clear chance to score a third and maybe that could kill the game but after that we played well.
"We were 2-0 down, we fought hard to come back. We wanted more of course. We never lost the trust. We felt in the second half we could push for the third goal but we didn't score."
Azpilicueta acknowledges it was a great day for reigning champions City as their two nearest rivals slipped up again.
He added: "They are the ones at the top. The more points we are behind the happier they will be. They have been setting the standards really high.
"It was up to us to close the gap. We know they are a quality team – they have been playing together for a while. We are on our way but until now we didn't reach that level of consistency that would keep us at the top."
Senegal have accused Watford of blocking Ismaila Sarr from linking up with the national team ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
Sarr has not played for Watford since November 20 due to a knee ligament injury and is not expected to return to fitness until the end of this month at the earliest.
Despite still being out injured, Senegal named the 23-year-old in their squad for the tournament, which runs from January 9 until February 6.
However, Watford informed Senegal earlier this week that Sarr will not be allowed to travel.
It is the second Africa Cup of Nations row Watford have been embroiled in after Nigeria accused the Premier League side of "baring fangs" after objecting to Emmanuel Dennis being named in the squad.
The Senegalese Football Federation's general secretary Victor Seh Cisse believes the reasons given by Watford for objecting to Sarr's call-up are not justified.
"By mail on Friday, December 31, Watford notified on the basis of arguments equally specious as fallacious its decision to block the player Ismaila Sarr, who has expressed his desire to join the Senegalese selection for the next Cup of Nations in Cameroon," a statement read.
"The Senegal Football Federation wishes to express with this communication its deep condemnation of the disrespectful, pernicious and discriminatory behaviour of Watford's hierarchy who look by all means to prevent a player from playing with his national team."
Clubs have until Monday to release players called up by their national teams for the delayed competition, which has been pushed back by a year due to coronavirus.
Senegal, who finished runners-up to Algeria in 2019, added they will take the matter up with FIFA should it not be resolved.
Responding to the allegations, Watford released a statement on their official website on Sunday that read: "Ismaila Sarr suffered a knee ligament injury on November 20 in the match against Manchester United and has not been fit to play for Watford FC since that date.
"In early December, the club wrote to the Senegal Football Federation outlining the clinical diagnosis of Ismaila's injury and immediately followed that up by supplying the MRI scans detailing the extent of the injury.
"After further consultation with medical experts, we informed the federation of Ismaila's rehabilitation process and likely timeframe of recovery.
"Within the past 10 days, the club has reiterated to the Senegal Football Federation the player's current medical status and recovery schedule.
"The Hornets have also invited the Senegal Football Federation to instruct their own independent surgeon to confirm the diagnosis and rehabilitation period."
Diego Simeone has underlined the sheer importance of Atletico Madrid's 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Angel Correa scored both goals at Wanda Metropolitano as the reigning champions got back to winning ways in LaLiga, ending a run of four straight defeats.
Los Rojiblancos leapfrogged their opponents to fourth place after a sixth successive victory in the fixture – and a fifth consecutive clean sheet.
Back on the touchline after recently returning a positive COVID-19 test, Simeone was in danger of becoming the first Atletico boss to lose five league games on the spin since Ricardo Zamora in 1942.
But the Argentinian, who has now lost just one of his 14 matches against Vallecano as a manager in all competitions, was pleased with the attitude shown by his squad.
"Winning was tremendously important, and the players showed it by how they faced the game," he said.
"I like what I've seen. [It was] a great match individually and collectively.
"You saw a serious, tough, strong team that knew what it needed. When there were spaces, we ran; when it was time to close, we did. It was important.
"The reality is the results and in the previous matches, we did good things, but the mistakes hit us more than we deserved.
"We are working to find regularity in the defensive aspect, which is always important. The collective work has been very good and against a team that was fit, which we had to pass in the table."
Atletico, who trail leaders Real Madrid by 14 points with a game in hand, switch focus to the Copa del Rey on Thursday with a trip to third-tier Rayo Majadahonda.
Mateo Kovacic scored one of the goals of the season as Chelsea fought back to draw 2-2 with Liverpool in a pulsating Premier League encounter.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah had given the Reds a two-goal lead at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in their final game before departing for Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Chelsea were not lacking firepower in the absence of dropped record signing Romelu Lukaku as they roared back with two goals in quick succession late in the first half, Kovacic reducing the deficit with a sumptuous volley and Christian Pulisic equalising.
Both sides had their chances to come out on top in the battle between second and third, but it was leaders Manchester City who were the big winners as they hold a 10-point advantage at the summit.
Mane may have been fortunate to only be shown a yellow card when he caught Cesar Azpilicueta in the face with his arm just six seconds into a game that saw the introduction of safe standing at Stamford Bridge.
Pulisic wasted a great chance to open the scoring early on, rounding Caoimhin Kelleher – starting with Alisson out due to a positive COVID-19 test – after Trent Alexander-Arnold's attempted clearance struck Mason Mount and left the United States forward with only the Reds' stand-in goalkeeper to beat.
Mane made no mistake in the ninth minute, capitalising on a bad mistake from Trevoh Chalobah by rounding Edouard Mendy and finishing with his left foot.
Salah then struck against his former club 26 minutes in, exquisitely controlling a brilliant pass from Alexander-Arnold and beating Mendy at his near post with a clinical finish after darting beyond Marcos Alonso in the penalty area.
Chelsea stormed back with two goals in the space of four minutes to go in at the break on level terms, Kovacic's sublime 20-yard volley going in off the right post before Pulisic raced clear and coolly tucked home in stoppage time.
The two title hopefuls continued to pose a huge threat going forward following the interval and Mendy had to dive at full stretch palm away out Salah's lob when he spotted the Blues keeper off his line.
Kelleher showed sharp reflexes to keep out Pulisic's half-volley and Mount tested the Irishman from long range, but both sides had to settle for a point.
Carlo Ancelotti took a swipe at a subdued performance from Real Madrid in the 1-0 defeat to Getafe, saying: "It seems we stayed on holiday for one more day."
The Madrid head coach said there was no cause for "drama or tragedy" given his team continue to blaze a trail at the top of LaLiga.
However, the shock loss at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez was a miserable way to begin 2022 for the capital titans, who are attempting to unseat neighbours Atletico Madrid as Spanish champions.
It was the second time in three seasons under Ancelotti, who was appointed in June for a second spell with Los Blancos, that Madrid have lost their opening game of a calendar year.
The previous defeat came against Valencia at Mestalla in January 2015, when a 2-1 loss halted a run of 22 consecutive wins.
This time, Madrid fell behind inside nine minutes when Eder Militao was caught dawdling on the edge of the penalty area by Enes Unal, who fired past Thibaut Courtois.
Luka Modric, Casemiro and star striker Karim Benzema went close to finding an equaliser, but a gritty Getafe held on for the points.
"We had a reaction for the first 10 minutes after the goal, then we were nervous and lost balls and duels," Ancelotti said.
"I think there is not much to say about this game. It seems we stayed on holiday for one more day.
"It didn't seem like the team that ended the year: less concentration, less commitment. We didn't deserve to win, but we didn't deserve to lose either.
"We gave away a goal and lost. It is a wake-up call. We didn't play well and there are no excuses."
The former Chelsea and Milan boss had not expected such a pallid showing from his side, having observed they were looking sharp in training.
And he accepted it was not his finest day as a coach either, saying: "The coach might also have been on holiday today."
Italian boss Ancelotti added: "We face this defeat without drama or tragedy because we continue to be leaders."
Angel Correa scored both goals as Atletico Madrid got back to winning ways in LaLiga with a 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
The reigning champions ended a four-game losing streak and leapfrogged their opponents, who failed to register a single shot on target at Wanda Metropolitano, into fourth place.
With Diego Simeone on the touchline having received authorisation from LaLiga following a recent positive COVID-19 test, Correa put the hosts ahead in the 28th minute with his first league goal since November 28.
The Argentina international doubled his tally and secured the points when he rounded off a neat move early in the second half.
Despite their poor form, Atletico were searching for a sixth successive win over Vallecano – and an eighth in the league on home soil.
The hosts squandered a great opportunity to take the lead in the 23rd minute when Luis Suarez robbed Esteban Saveljich of possession, but sent his attempted chip wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But they were not to be denied five minutes later. Mario Hermoso's blocked effort from a Yannick Carrasco cutback ricocheted kindly into the path of Correa, who drilled home through the legs of Luca Zidane.
Correa doubled the advantage within eight minutes of the restart, providing the finishing touch to Renan Lodi's cross from close range after a sweeping move by Atleti.
Thomas Lemar and Carrasco went close to increasing the margin of victory – the latter hitting the post for Simeone's side, who have now kept five clean sheets on the spin in this fixture.
Thomas Tuchel says leaving Romelu Lukaku out of Chelsea's squad to face Liverpool was a "difficult decision" but one he had to make.
The Belgium international was omitted from the Blues' 20-man group for Sunday's crucial clash at Stamford Bridge between the sides sitting second and third in the Premier League.
Tuchel made the big call after Lukaku sparked controversy when an interview conducted with Sky Sport Italia earlier this month was aired on Thursday and Friday.
In the wide-ranging interview, Lukaku said he "is not very happy with the situation" he finds himself in at Chelsea and expressed his desire to one day return to Inter.
Addressing the comments on Friday, Tuchel said Lukaku's comments bring "noise we do not need" at Chelsea ahead of such an important match.
And, after leaving the 28-year-old out of his squad to face the Reds, Tuchel explained he did not want his other players to be distracted.
"The issue got too big, too noisy, so close to the match, so I decided to protect the preparation for the match, so that is why he is out," he told Sky Sports.
"Of course we have spoken, twice to the main players, but after that we had to realise it was too close to the match, it's too big.
"We delayed the decision over what to do, but while are delaying we have to protect the preparation for the match, we have a big game to play.
"Full focus, which is hard to get even without this decision, was easier in my opinion if he is not in the squad, and that is why we did it.
"It was a difficult decision, but in my opinion it was the decision to take."
Lukaku scored 24 times for Inter in Serie A last term and has scored seven goals in 18 appearances since returning to Chelsea in a campaign blighted by an ankle injury and a positive test for coronavirus.
The former Manchester United striker had scored in Chelsea's last two games prior to facing Liverpool.
Alisson, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip will all miss Liverpool's trip to Chelsea on Sunday after they returned positive COVID-19 tests ahead of the clash at Stamford Bridge.
It follows the announcement on Saturday that manager Jurgen Klopp will also be absent from the game for the same reason.
The Reds are already without Thiago, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Nat Phillips and Harvey Elliott with injuries, while Andrew Robertson misses the game through suspension.
Caoimhin Kelleher replaces Alisson in goal, with the Ireland international set to make just his fourth Premier League appearance, while Ibrahima Konate comes in for Matip and Diogo Jota continues up front with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who both play their last Premier League game before heading off for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are without Romelu Lukaku after the Belgian striker was dropped for recent comments in the media that displeased his boss Thomas Tuchel.
Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante come back into the side after neither started the 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday, while Marcos Alonso replaces the injured Reece James and Kai Havertz comes in for Lukaku.
Both sides will be desperate for a win to stay as close as possible to league leaders Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's men snatched a late victory at Arsenal on Saturday to go 11 points clear of second-place Chelsea.
TEAMS
Chelsea: Edouard Mendy, Trevor Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Alonso, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic. Subs: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Malang Sarr, Lewis Hall, Jorginho, Saul Niguez, Ross Barkley, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Harvey Vale, Hakim Ziyech.
Liverpool: Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota. Subs: Adrian, Marcelo Pitaluga, Naby Keita, Joe Gomez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Owen Beck, Neco Williams, Tyler Morton.
Real Madrid's 11-game unbeaten run in LaLiga came to a surprising end as Enes Unal's strike gave Getafe a shock 1-0 win over the leaders.
It meant Quique Sanchez Flores got the better of Carlo Ancelotti, with Madrid's head coach seeing his team deliver a flat performance in their first game of the new year.
Madrid had won their last five away LaLiga games, scoring at least two goals in each, but they encountered a hard-grafting Getafe side who stretched their own undefeated streak to six games.
Unal took advantage of a defensive aberration from Eder Militao to strike early in the game, with Madrid frustrated in their efforts to draw level.
Militao was woefully caught out in the ninth minute, after collecting the ball from Toni Kroos on the edge of the penalty area. He stuttered rather than show his usual conviction and Unal exposed the uncertainty, making a careful tackle before firing past Thibaut Courtois, low into the left corner.
Madrid playmaker Luka Modric saw a long-range strike tipped wide and went closer in the 17th minute when he beat David Soria but his 15-yard strike rattled away off the crossbar.
Carlo Ancelotti saw his Madrid team struggle to break down the home defence and was rankled by the officiating of referee Mario Melero Lopez, who might reasonably have booked former Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena.
Alena had committed five fouls by half-time, but it was Ancelotti who picked up a yellow card as he showed frustration on the touchline.
Modric was thwarted by Soria again early in the second half, a tame shot easily gathered, with Madrid struggling to pose a serious threat. Karim Benzema had been quiet but teamed up neatly with substitute Eden Hazard and had a shot from 15 yards headed over the bar by Jorge Cuenca.
Marcelo had his shirt tugged in the penalty area but spot-kick appeals were dismissed, while Casemiro had a thumping 20-yard strike turned wide by the excellent Soria.
Ralf Rangnick says Edinson Cavani will "definitely" not be allowed to leave Manchester United during the January transfer window.
Cavani has only started three games for the Red Devils this season, but came into the side for the Premier League defeat of Burnley last Thursday after his strike at Newcastle United rescued a 1-1 draw.
The Uruguay striker has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus, having become frustrated with a lack of opportunities at Old Trafford.
But interim boss Rangnick has told Cavani, who is under contract until the end of June, he wants him to stay at United.
"He knows that I will definitely not let him go," said the German.
He added: "I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. He is probably the only one who can play as a striker back to goal and face to goal.
"And, as I said, his professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him.
"We will definitely need Edi. I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me it's clear that Edi has to stay."
One player who is expected to be on his way out of United is Anthony Martial, who has told the club he wants to leave.
Sevilla are reported to have had a loan offer for the forward rejected and Rangnick says he will only be allowed to move if the deal is right for all parties.
"He made it very clear that he wants to leave and, in a way, I can understand his wish to leave and to try to play more regularly somewhere else," Rangnick said.
"But, again, it's a question not only of what he wants to do but it's also a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see."
United will look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches when they entertain Wolves in the Premier League on Monday.
Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock loss in his first match of the year as the US Open champion was beaten by Ugo Humbert at the ATP Cup.
World number two Medvedev led by a set and 3-0 but stumbled from there and went down 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-2) at the team event in Sydney.
He put that defeat behind him and paired up with Roman Safiullin in doubles to clinch a 2-1 victory for Russia over France in the round-robin Group B tie.
Medvedev and Safiullin were 6-4 6-4 winners over Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the tie decider, with world number 167 Safiullin having earlier scored an impressive 2-6 7-5 6-3 singles victory over Arthur Rinderknech.
Humbert's remarkable comeback victory over Medvedev was the standout result of the contest, however, with the 23-year-old French left-hander saying afterwards: "It was a very tough match. I am very happy."
Metz-born Humbert added, quoted on the ATP website: "I had some opportunities in the first set and I just tried to stay relaxed and focused on what I had to do. It was a great match."
Australia had an eye-catching win in the same group, landing a 2-1 success over Italy, helped by Alex de Minaur beating Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini.
De Minaur scored a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win to level the tie after Jannik Sinner swept past Max Purcell 6-1 6-3, with Berrettini and Simone Bolelli then beaten 6-3 7-5 in a late-night doubles tussle by John Peers and Luke Saville.
In Group C, Great Britain scored a 2-1 win over Germany, with Dan Evans and Jamie Murray teaming up in doubles to beat Alexander Zverev and Kevin Krawietz 6-3 6-4 to take the tie.
Zverev had earlier been too good for Cameron Norrie, posting a 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 win, after Evans sped to a 6-1 6-2 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff.
In their next tie, Germany will do battle with a United States side who were impressive 3-0 winners against Canada on Sunday. John Isner and Taylor Fritz scored singles victories over Brayden Schnur and Felix Auger-Aliassime before pairing up to beat Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov in doubles.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley says it should become clear in "the coming days" if Novak Djokovic will defend his title at Melbourne Park this month.
Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Cup in Sydney last week and has not yet arrived in Melbourne for the first grand slam of the year.
Players must be vaccinated or have a medical exemption in order to play in the opening major of 2022 and Djokovic has refused to disclose whether he has been jabbed.
Tiley is unsure whether the world number one will go in search of a record 21st grand slam title at the Australian Open, which starts on January 17.
"We've still got a few charter flights coming in until the end of this week and then all the players will be here," he told the Nine Network.
"As far as the status relates to Novak, I think we'll have a much clearer picture in the coming days otherwise it's getting pretty late to show up and play the Australian Open."
He added: "There's quite a bit to play out and I think it will play out in the coming days."
Djokovic has won the Australian Open men's singles title a record nine times and beat Daniil Medvedev in the 2021 final.
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