Jannik Sinner concluded an impeccable week by guiding Italy to its first Davis Cup title in virtually 50 years.
Sinner prolonged his document to 5-0 this week by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 within the second singles match of Sunday’s last. He secured a 2-0 win over Australia for Italy’s first Davis Cup title since 1976.
Matteo Arnaldi offered Italy with the preliminary level, securing a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Alexei Popyrin.
The No. 4 Sinner defeated top-ranked Novak Djokovic in each singles and doubles matches in Saturday’s semifinal towards Serbia.
The 22-year-old Italian wanted 1 hour and 21 minutes to seal Italy’s victory towards Australia.
“We are all very young. We are really hungry to try to win it one more time for our life, but having this feeling at least once, it is a really special feeling,” mentioned Sinner, who has crushed 9 top-10 gamers since September, though he misplaced to Djokovic within the ATP Tour Finals every week in the past.
Arnaldi saved eight break factors earlier than securing a break of his personal to shut out the primary match within the decisive third set.
“I think I won one of the most important matches of my life,” the Forty fourth-ranked Arnaldi mentioned.
The Italians, who had by no means received the title apart from in 1976, had misplaced within the three finals they performed towards Australia, which was final yr’s runner-up to Canada.
Australia eradicated Finland within the final 4 this yr. The Aussies are 28-time champions however haven’t lifted the trophy on the males’s tennis prime group occasion since captain Lleyton Hewitt was on the profitable squad as a participant in 2003.
“There hasn’t been another nation that’s gone back-to-back in the last two years, so we are showing a pretty good effort collectively,” De Miñaur mentioned. “We are very, very close. It stinks like hell. We’ll be back. We’ll get this. I mean, we’ve got a very strong future ahead of us.”
This yr, Australia grew to become simply the second nation to win 200 Davis Cup ties, with the United States being the opposite.
Matteo Berrettini was not within the Italian group due to an harm however was in Malaga, supporting his fellow residents.
“Thanks to Matteo,” Sinner mentioned. “He has had a very tough year (with) a lot of injuries. For all of us, that he came here means a lot. He gave us a lot of positive energy.”
Malaga once more
The last eight of the Davis Cup Finals will keep in Malaga for an additional yr.
Spain was awarded a wild card Sunday for the group stage in Valencia.
This yr’s finalists, Italy and Australia, additionally go straight via to the group stage in September. So does Great Britain, which misplaced to Serbia within the quarterfinals.
The ladies’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals will stay within the southern Spanish metropolis of Seville subsequent yr.
Source: www.dailysabah.com