With the second edition of the national team competition truncated because of Australian Open coronavirus quarantine, victory for Fabio Fognini and Matteo Berrettini in the singles combined with Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Austria ensured Italy would top Group C.

Fognini downed Benoit Paire 6-1 7-6(2) in the opening match of the day on John Cain Arena before Matteo Berrettini outwitted Gael Monfils 6-4 6-2 to make France’s doubles win academic.

“We are playing good, we’ve got great energy, we are really happy to be in the semi-finals,” Berrettini said.

“Last year, I didn’t play and unfortunately the guys couldn’t make it, so we’re really pumped.”

If that clash was one-sided, the Germany-Canada Group A tie was anything but with four of the fives sets in the two singles matches decided by tiebreakers.

Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff dominated the first two and finished off Milos Raonic with a thumping ace for a 7-6(4) 7-6(2) victory that gave Germany a 1-0 lead in their opening tie.

After losing 2-1 to Novak Djokovic’s Serbia on Tuesday, Canada needed to win the tie to stay alive in the competition and Denis Shapovalov made a positive start by taking the first set against Alexander Zverev.

Shapovalov, backing up after a loss to Djokovic, needed treatment on his shoulder as world No 7 Zverev levelled up the contest in the second set, however.

Zverev, in his first match of the year, warmed to his task in a tight deciding set but was unable to convert seven break points as Shapovalov dug deep.

Shapovalov had his chances in the decisive tiebreak but an unforced error and a double fault at crucial moments opened the door for Zverev and the German stormed through it with his 14th and 15th aces for a 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(4) victory.

Russia could join Italy in the semi-finals if they can beat Japan in their Group D clash on later on Wednesday, while Greece play their first Group B tie against an Australia team facing an early exit after Tuesday’s 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Spain.