Andrei Kuznetsov's win against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in Moscow on Sunday secured Russia's return to the Davis Cup World Group after a four-year absence. Kuznetsov's 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win lifted Russia into an unassailable 3-1 lead and into the elite group for the first time since 2012. Kuznetsov, ranked 47th in the world, broke Kukushkin's serve twice in both the first and second sets for a commanding two-set lead after just over an hour on court.
In the third set, the 25-year-old Russian broke his opponent twice.
"I managed to keep concentration throughout the match," Kuznetsov said in interview on Russian television. "And we will all be happy to play for our country in the World Group next year."
Earlier, Konstantin Kravchuk and Andrey Rublev beat Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 7-5 in under three hours in the doubles
In the fourth set the visitors broke early, but the Russian pair broke back twice to take the set and match in just under three hours.
Earlier Kukushkin levelled the score, beating Russia's Evgeny Donskoy in a tough five-setter.