With two thrilling doubles victories on Friday in Portugal, the U.S. assured itself of two medals at the 2023 BNP Paribas World Team Cup.
Andrew Bogdanov and David Wagner clinched bronze for the U.S. quad team with victory over Japan, while Charlie Cooper and Thomas Majetic sent the U.S. juniors back to the final for the first time in six years thanks to a triumph over the Netherlands—assuring them of either gold or silver.
The quad bronze was the first medal awarded in this year's competition, and the U.S. and Japan played a tie worthy of it: All three matches were decided in three sets before the U.S. clinched its 20th all-time podium spot in its history in the quad event.
Bogdanov began the day with a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Daisuke Ishito, but Koji Sugeno's 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 win over Wagner—the 15th career meeting between the two Top 10 players, and first win for Sugeno in their five meetings this year—sent the tie to doubles.
The same quartet returned to the court for both countries, and Bogdanov and Wagner, who already clinched a win over Turkey in round-robin play, delivered again in a 6-1, 4-6, [10-6] triumph.
The U.S. has now won four quad bronze medals since the event began in 1998, adding to seven runner-up finishes and nine titles.
For Wagner, the veteran of the group with first-time selections Bogdanov and Steven Baxter, the opportunity to win another medal more than 20 years after his own World Team Cup debut was priceless in more ways than one.
The quad team & USTA Chairman of the Board and President Brian Hainline.
"I just wanted to play well," Wagner said. "Mostly, I just wanted to help these guys who've never been on a team before get an opportunit to see what the World Team Cup's about, and an opportunity to realize a part of history. U.S. quad tennis is probably the best in the history of the sport, and their names will be cemented in that forever now, so it's cool to see that."
The junior semifinal was also decided by doubles. After Majetic won his singles match against Xavier Donker 6-2, 6-1, Ivar van Rijt edged Cooper in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to send the tie to a decider. With the same quartet on the court in doubles, Cooper and Majetic shined in a 6-2, 6-3 win to advance to the title match against Great Britain.
After finishing in eighth and seventh place, respectively, in 2021 and 2022, the American juniors have had a standout week with an 8-1 record overall, and will face Great Britain in the final.
The American juniors last won a World Team Cup in 2017, the last of three straight titles from 2015-17. The U.S. also triumphed at the inaugural junior event in 2000. The Brits, meanwhile, have been runners-up in 2019 and 2022.
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