MALAGA, Spain — Jannik Sinner capped his excellent week by main Italy to its first Davis Cup title in practically 5 many years.
Sinner took his document to 5-0 this week by beating Alex de Miñaur 6-3, 6-0 within the second singles match of Sunday’s ultimate, giving Italy a 2-0 win over Australia for its first Davis Cup title since 1976.
Matteo Arnaldi had given Italy the primary level with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin.
The No. 4 Sinner beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic within the singles and doubles matches in Saturday’s semifinal showdown towards Serbia.
The 22-year-old Italian wanted 1 hour, 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,” stated Sinner, who has crushed 9 top-10 gamers since September, although he misplaced to Djokovic within the ATP Tour Finals every week in the past.
Arnaldi earlier saved eight break factors earlier than getting 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 stated.
The Italians, who had by no means gained the title apart from in 1976, had misplaced the three finals it 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 at males’s tennis high staff 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 stated. “We are very, very close. It stinks like hell. We’ll be back. We’ll get this. I mean, we’ve got a very, very strong future ahead of us.”
Australia this yr 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 staff due to an harm however he was in Malaga supporting his countrymen.
“Thanks to Matteo,” Sinner stated. “He has had a very tough year (with) a lot of injuries. For all of us, that he came here, it means a lot. He gave us a lot of positive energy.”
MALAGA AGAIN
The ultimate 8 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 by means of to the group stage in September. So does Great Britain, which misplaced to Serbia within the quarterfinals.
The girls’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals will stay within the southern Spanish metropolis of Seville subsequent yr.
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