Italy became two-time Davis Cup champion yesterday after beating the Netherlands in the final of the tournament that was held in Malaga, Spain.
With a solid 2-0 in the singles matches, Matteo Berrettini (35th) and Jannik Sinner (1st) beat Botic Van de Zandschulp (80th) and Tallon Griekspoor (40th), respectively, to take the salad bowl silver for the second consecutive year and the third time in its history.
Berrettini opened the day with an impeccable performance by beating Van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 18 minutes. Without giving up his serve, the Roman dominated with 16 aces and a forceful serve, making it clear why he is one of the key pieces of the Italian team.
Later, Sinner, world number one and recent ATP Finals champion, secured the title by defeating Griekspoor 7-6 (2) and 6-2. Although the Dutchman put up resistance in the first set, Sinner imposed his hierarchy to close the match in one hour and 40 minutes.
Italy’s path to the Final 8 began with a tough match against Argentina, in the quarterfinals, in which Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the first match. However, Sinner left no room for surprises and won the remaining matches, including the doubles against Máximo González and Andrés Molteni, along with his colleague Berrettini.
In the semifinals, Italy defeated Australia thanks to the individual victories of Berrettini and Sinner, without needing to play the doubles.
For its part, the Netherlands closed a historic campaign by reaching its first Davis Cup final. The Dutch surprised by eliminating Spain in the quarterfinals, in a duel that marked Rafael Nadal’s professional retirement, and then beat Germany in the semifinals. However, they could not beat the Italian power, which replicated last year’s winning formula.
With this title, Italy consolidates its dominance on the tennis scene and demonstrates that the Sinner-Berrettini duo is an unbeatable combination in singles. The team led by Filippo Volandri closes 2024 as the great power of the Davis Cup, with its sights set on extending its legacy in future editions.
