The Italian team earned their second successive victory of the tournament with a 2-1 result over France at the John Cain Arena. 

Fabio Fognini first defeated Benoît Paire of France 6-1, 7-6, before Matteo Berrettini triumphed 6-4, 6-2 against Gaël Monfils. 

France then took a consolation point after Nicolas Mahut and Édouard Roger-Vasselin won the doubles rubber against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 6-4. 

"It's a great team, great guys," Berrettini said. 

"We are enjoying on court, but off court as well.

"I think when you're playing for your country, for your team, it's something special."

Italy progressed to the semi-finals as leaders of Group C, and shortly after were joined by Group D winners Russia. 

Andrey Rublev defeated Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka to earn Russia's first point, with world number four Daniil Medvedev then beating Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-4. 

Russia could not secure a clean sweep, however. 

Ben McLachlan and Nishioka battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 12-10 victory against Evgeny Donskoy and Aslan Karatsev in the doubles rubber. 

Australia kept their chances of progressing to the semi-finals alive after a thrilling encounter with Greece at the Rod Laver Arena. 

John Millman gave the hosts the lead following a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win against Michail Pervolarakis, but world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas levelled the tie by overcoming Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-5. 

John Peer and Luke Saville were then triumphant in the tie decider, edging past Pervolarakis and Tsitsipas 6-3, 4-6, 10-5. 

Australia are reliant on Greece beating Spain in the last match of Group B tomorrow to have a chance of reaching the final four. 

World number seven Alexander Zverev helped Germany to an opening victory against Canada. 

He came back from one set down to narrowly beat Denis Shapovalov 6-7, 6-3, 7-6.

Compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff had an equally close encounter with Milos Raonic, eventually winning 7-6, 7-6. 

Steven Diez and Peter Polansky grabbed a point for Canada in a 7-6, 6-7, 10-3 result against Struff and Kevin Krawietz. 

The winner of the clash between Serbia and Germany tomorrow will determine which team tops Group A and progresses to the semi-final. 

The remainder of the ATP Cup may be impacted after a worker at one of the Australian Open's quarantine hotels tested positive for coronavirus, however. 

Up to 600 people associated with the Grand Slam - including players, officials and support staff - have been identified as "casual contacts" of the infected man and must self isolate until they produce a negative test.

The scale of the impact on the ATP Cup is not yet known.