By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday November 21, 2024
Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner vaulted Italy past Argentina and into the Davis Cup semifinals.
Photo Source: TTV
Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berretini helped Italy take another step closer to repeating as Davis Cup champions on Thursday in Malaga. The pair took out Argentina's Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez 6-4 7-5 to set a rematch of last year’s final with Australia in the semifinals.
.aspx)
It was Sinner who kept Italy alive after Francisco Cerundolo blasted past Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. Seeking a return to the semifinals for the first time since they won their lone Davis Cup title in 2016, Argentina could not hang onto the lead.
Jannik Sinner hammered past Sebastian Baez, 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes, setting up a winner-take-all doubles tilt.
The World No.1 improved to 10-1 lifetime in Davis Cup singles matches with his singles win.
28-year-old Berrettini played the hero on the doubles court, serving lights-out and cleaning up the net as he and Sinner engineered critical breaks in the back-end of each set.
“It’s always a big honor to be a part of the team,” Berrettini said. “It’s not an easy choice for the captain, there are so many good players – I had to work really hard to get a spot, and I’m really proud of myself with everything I’ve been through.”
“He played unbelievable,” Sinner said of Berrettini. “He carried me today. I know how hard he is working to come back… To play doubles with him it’s a big honor”
Sinner wasn’t so bad himself.
His captain pointed out that the World No.1 didn’t even have the chance to practice on the match court at Malaga before he was thrown into duty with his team trailing 1-0 on Thursday.
“He never practiced on these courts since he arrived,” Volandri said of the 23-year-old, who won the ATP Finals title just four days ago. “He didn’t have the chance. In three minutes he was perfectly comfortable on court, it’s special.”
Fresh off his maiden ATP Finals triumph, Sinner stretched his singles winning streak to 12 – he has now won 22 consecutive sets.
Sinner and Berretini lost just nine points on serve and saved the only break point they faced.
“They made an unbelievable effort in the doubles,” captain Filippo Volandri added, “especially Matteo.”
Italy broke a 47-year drought in 2023, defeating Australian 2-0 in the finals. The Italians are bidding to become the first nation to repeat as Davis Cup champions since Czechia raised the trophy in 2012 and 2013.
The will face Australia on Saturday in Malaga. Germany will meet the Netherlands in the lower-half semifinal on Friday.