By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, November 24, 2024
World No. 1 Jannik defeated Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2 to clinch Italy’s second straight Davis Cup championship with a 2-0 win over The Netherlands.
Photo credit: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty for ITF
All roads lead to Rome.
Road warriors Italy continue constructing a Davis Cup dynasty.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini both scored singles wins lifting Italy to a 2-0 win over The Netherlands in today’s Davis Cup final in Malaga, Spain.
Sinner slashed a serve out wide converting his fourth match point to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(2), 6-2 and clinch Italy’s second straight Davis Cup championship.
As Italian fans roared and the nation’s band blared a tribute tune, Sinner said Malaga felt a whole lot like home.
“For sure it has been amazing. Very, very proud of the whole team,” said Sinner, who improved to 12-1 in Davis Cup play. “There is a lot of work behind it. We are very happy to hold this trophy again. It was a very difficult day today because everything can happen…
“We’re very happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy so very happy.”
It is Italy’s third Davis Cup championship overall and Sinner, who was raised in the air by his ecstatic captain Fillipo Volandri, has clinched the last two Cups with powerful performances.
A year ago, Sinner demolished Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 sealing Italy’s first Davis Cup championship in 47 years with a 2-0 triumph over Australia in the 2023 Davis Cup final.
Today, Sinner extended his winning streak to 26 straight sets stopping Griekspoor.
It caps a superb season from Sinner, who defeated Taylor Fritz in last week's ATP Finals title match to capture his eighth championship of the season and become just the third man in history to sweep the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same season.
Italy is the first nation to successfully defend the Davis Cup in a little more than a decade—since a Czechia squad led by Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Serbia in Belgrade, 3-2, in the 2013 final to repeat as champions.
“It’s a very important competition for the whole of Italy,” Sinner said. “You have different pressure and different weight of having the Italy on your shoulder but I think we all handled it really really well.
“If it would not be important I would not be here. This year, sharing this moment especially with this group it means so much to me. I’m very happy and honored to be a part of this.”
It was a tremendous effort from Captain Paul Haarhuis’ Dutch squad, which toppled favored Spain in Rafael Nadal’s final match on Tuesday, then stopped Germany in the semifinals on Friday.
Berrettini banged 16 aces against one double fault defeating Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2, to stake Italy to a 1-0 lead today.
“I’m just so happy,” said Berrettini, one of 10 Italian men ranked in the ATP Top 102. “Obviously last year I was here to support the team. This year, I brought some points to the cause.
“But it doesn’t matter who is playing we always put our hear on court. It doesn’t matter if it’s these two guys—Lorenzo and Jannik—are giving their best….So this is a really long team, a big team and we’re really happy for the trophy.”
Sinner served 15 aces against one double fault The talented Griekspoor gained double break point in the third game but Sinner quickly quieted the threat holding for 2-1.
Griekspoor held at 30 to force the tiebreaker.
In the breaker, the two-time Grand Slam champion separated himself. Sinner charged out to a 4-1 lead in the breaker.
A slick Sinner forehand drop shot brought him to 5-2. Sinner slammed his 13th ace out wide sealing his 25th straight set in 50 minutes.
The world No. 1 had a one set, one break lead, but Griekspoor was not throwing any pity parties for himself. Griekspoor came right back to earn break points in the fourth game. Sinner tried to attack, but the Dane held his ground bolting a backhand pass to break back for 2-all.
Empowered, Griekspoor moved forward and pulled off a brilliant touch half-volley winner that incited the entire Dutch fan base to leap from its seat.
Sinner withstood that inspired burst and regained authority. Griekspoor bumped a backhand drop shot into net then double-faulted off the tape as Sinner scored the third straight break of the set for 3-2.
Straddling the baseline, Sinner unleashed jarring offense.
The US Open champion found his groove rolling through 12 of 13 points to take the double break lead at 5-2 and serve for a second straight Davis Cup.
Earlier, Berrettini set the tone for the final sweeping Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2.
Berrettini blasted 16 aces, won 30 of 35 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a strong 76-minute victory that gave Italy a 1-0 lead.
“It feels unbelievable,” Berrettini told Barry Cowan in his on-court interview. “It feels really great to be on court, you know?
“Obviously, if you win it’s better. But being able to be healthy, to be here and enjoying this kind of atmosphere is the most important thing for me because I miss that. I didn’t miss the wins or losses. I missed like these moments. That’s why I’m really, really happy.
“We still have hopefully just one more match to go. But the first step was taken.”
It was Berrettini’s second Davis Cup win over Van de Zandschulp in the last three months. The pair played in September’s Group A qualifier in Bologna with Berrettini edging Van de Zandschulp 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
In that Bologna victory, Berrettini hit 11 aces and dropped serve twice.
Today, a confident Berrettini won four games at love and dictated the direction of his service games.
The 35th-ranked Berrettini, who was a spectator at the 2023 Davis Cup finals, made his presence felt.
Van de Zandschulp, who ended Rafael Nadal’s pro career helping The Netherlands defeat Spain last Tuesday, stayed in step with Berrettini today until a disastrous ninth game.
The Dutchman blinked with a tame drop shot attempt then Berrettini ran down and answered with a re-dropper for a love-30 lead. When Van de Zandschulp blinked and netted a backhand, Berrettini had the first break and a 5-4 lead.
Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini snatched a one-set lead in 38 minutes when Van de Zandschulp netted a forehand return.
A bold Berrettini drive helped Italy gain another break point in the seventh game of the second set. Van de Zandschulp attacked but shoveled a low forehand volley long as Italy scored the double break for a 5-2 second-set lead.
On his second match point, Berrettini bashed a big serve down the middle closing a 76-minute conquest with a wide smile to captain.
“I definitely feel my level really never left,” Berrettini said. “It was obviously more when you’re struggling physically and mentally, it’s not easy to play your best tennis.
“But I always had the feeling that my level was there. I just had to work hard. Tennis is a sport you have to play in order to be back and feeling your best. It’s not just because you train you’re gonna feel better—you need matches. And that’s what I did this year. That’s why I’m playing pretty good right now.”