PARIS: Defending champions Italy qualified for the Davis Cup final eight on Saturday without playing as Argentina advanced with a dominant 3-0 win over Finland.

Italy and Argentina join Spain, Australia, the US and Germany, who are already through to the eight-team finals in Malaga, Spain from Nov. 19-24.

On Sunday, the last two places are up for grabs with Britain needing to beat Canada 3-0 at home in Manchester to take the Group D berth ahead of the Canadians.

All is to play for in Group A between Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands, depending on the result of the clash between the Dutch and Italy.

In Bologna, Italy advanced thanks to Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Belgium.

Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro beat Belgian Zizou Bergs 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 after Joao Fonseca defeated Raphael Collignon 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Belgium kept their slim hopes alive thanks to their doubles victory.

In Group D, Guillermo Coria’s Argentina powered back after 2-1 to Canada on Tuesday crushing last year’s semifinalists Finland.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Eero Vasa 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 with Francisco Cerundolo battling past Otto Virtanen 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-0

Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni survived dropping their opening set to take the doubles. Argentina return to the last eight for the first time since 2019.

“We knew we had to win 3-0,” said Gonzalez.

Etcheverry added: “The Davis Cup was a tournament I always dreamed about as a child. It was so important to get the first point.”

In China, Reilly Opelka saved two match points, with Brandon Nakashima also winning as the US beat Germany 2-1 to take top spot in Group C.

Both 32-times tournament winners USA and Germany were already through to the final eight but were playing for top spot in the group which helps determine seeding.

Bob Bryan’s US team made it three wins out of three having also defeated Slovakia and Chile.

Opelka beat Germany’s Henri Squire 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (11/9), 6-3 in Zhuhai with Nakashima easing past Maximilian Marterer 6-4, 6-2.

Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz won the doubles rubber.

In World Group 1, Novak Djokovic eased to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ioannis Xilas as Serbia took a 2-0 lead over Greece.

The 37-year-old world No. 4, who won the Davis Cup with Serbia in 2010, wrapped up the match in just 45 minutes.

Earlier, Miomir Kecmanovic gave Serbia a 1-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Aristotelis Thanos.

Djokovic is playing his first match since losing in the third round of the US Open.

“It is always a great pleasure to play here,” said Djokovic.

“This may be the last time I will play in front of this audience. The format is changing.

“It’s been seven years since I last played the Davis Cup here. I don’t know if I have seven more years of my career. We’ll see, some young tennis players who will defend the colors of the national team need to take over the helm.”

Casper Ruud secured a 3-1 win for Norway in their World Group I tie against Portugal.

MANCHESTER, England: Canada, Australia and Germany remained unbeaten in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals after each winning their second straight match on Thursday, while Czech player Tomas Machac retired injured for the second time in two days after playing only six minutes.

Canada won 3-0 against Finland, Australia beat the Czech Republic by the same score, and Germany swept aside Chile 3-0.

Denis Shapovalov beat Eero Vasa 7-6 (2), 6-2 and Felix Auger-Aliassime followed up with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Otto Virtanen for the 2022 Davis Cup champions in Manchester, England.

There was an element of revenge after Canada lost to Finland in last year’s quarterfinals.

“Everybody’s in good spirits, so it’s very good,” Auger-Aliassime said. “Any motivation is good, but I think it’s a different year, a different time, and (last year’s loss) was behind us. This year we have a full team and everybody’s playing better than last year. Everybody’s improved.”

Auger-Aliassime was back on court soon after with Shapovalov in doubles to wrap up the tie with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Virtanen and Harri Heliovaara.

Machac’s injury was the focus as Australia marched into a 2-0 lead against the Czech Republic in Valencia, Spain.

What had seemed to be simply cramps when he retired against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday proved more serious and long-lasting as Machac played just nine points in his match with Alexei Popyrin.

Machac was playing with bandages around his right calf and called for a medical timeout after Popyrin held serve in the first game, before retiring at 30-15 down in the second.

“We saw him last night, and he didn’t look too good last night, so we wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he’s back on tour quickly,” Popyrin said.

Earlier, Thanasi Kokkinakis had given Australia the lead in the opening match by beating Jakub Mensik 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-3. Australia made it 3-0 in the doubles as Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell beat Mensik and Adam Pavlasek 6-4, 6-2.

On an indoor hard court in Zhuhai, China, Germany’s Maximilian Marterer beat Tomas Barrios Vera 6-1, 6-3, then Yannick Hanfmann defeated Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 6-4 to clinch the tie. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who have lost only one cup match, beat Barrios Vera and Matias Soto 6-1, 6-3. In no match was Germany broken. Germany has never lost to Chile, which didn’t use an ill Nicolas Jarry.

The Netherlands picked up their first win against Brazil in the only one of Thursday’s ties that was decided in doubles. Wesley Koolhof and Botic van de Zandschulp won a close match 6-4, 7-6 (5) against Brazil’s Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo to hand Brazil its second loss in Bologna, Italy.

Brazil had led after Joao Fonseca beat van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the first match but Tallon Griekspoor leveled the tie with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Thiago Monteiro.

Four groups of teams are playing in four cities this week to qualify for the eight-team Finals in Malaga, Spain, in November. The top two countries in each four-team group advance.