ATP Cup kicks off Australian Open tune-up events Down Under

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The ATP Cup team event will kick off the slate of tune-up tournaments in three states ahead of the Australian Open in January. Tennis Australia says the ATP Cup will be played Jan. 1-9 in Sydney and will be followed the Sydney Tennis Classic. Other warm-up events will be held in and around Melbourne and Adelaide before the year’s first major starts Jan. 17. Crowds will be allowed at all tournaments. The Victoria state government is allowing a full capacity at Melbourne Park for the Australian Open as the country continues to emerge from COVID-19 restrictions. Team Serbia won the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup in 2020 and Team Russia won a scaled-back 2021 edition in February.