Jannik Sinner has capped his breathtaking end to his banner 2023 season by main Italy to its first Davis Cup title since 1976 after defeating Australian Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 in Malaga on Sunday night time.
After saving three match factors to defeat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Saturday’s semi-finals, Sinner transformed the 1-0 lead supplied by Matteo Arnaldi’s three-set win over Alexei Popyrin right into a championship-clinching outcome along with his crushing victory over De Minaur, whom he now leads 6-0 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence.
Following the US Open, Sinner received 20 of his final 22 matches of the season, a run that included ATP 500 titles in Beijing and Vienna, and a runner-up end within the Nitto ATP Finals to Djokovic, whom he beat in an epic three-setter in group play in Turin.
De Minaur started the match with an aggressive love service maintain, however then scrounged simply two extra video games in opposition to an imperious Sinner. Hitting with ferocious energy off each wings, the 10-time ATP Tour titlist dominated the baseline exchanges, dictating play with 25 winners to only 9 unforced errors.
“It has been an unbelievable feeling I feel for all of us and clearly we’re actually pleased,” mentioned Sinner.
“We stored collectively every little thing and clearly yesterday we went from one level away from being out and now we are able to rejoice the win. I feel we are able to all be very, very pleased.”
Sinner, 22, finishes the yr with a personal-best 64-15 document on the season and at a year-end career-high No. 4 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings..
Earlier within the day Arnaldi gave Italy a 1-0 lead after staring down eight break factors within the deciding set in opposition to Popyrin.
In distinction to the alternatives missed by Popyrin, the 22-year-old seized the second when offered along with his first match level within the tenth sport of the decider to emphatically shut out a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 victory in two hours and 27 minutes.
It was vindication for the previous Subsequent Gen ATP Finals qualifier, who squandered three match factors in opposition to Botic van de Zandschulp in Italy’s 2-1 win over The Netherlands.
“I did not play a lot in the previous couple of weeks, so I used to be pleased after the primary match even when I misplaced,” Arnaldi mentioned. “Now I’ve received one of the crucial essential matches in my life.”
Matteo Arnaldi celebrates a three-set win over Alexei Popyrin within the Davis Cup ultimate.” />
Italian captain Filippo Volandri, who oversaw Italy’s second Davis Cup title run, mentioned, “Actually grateful to have these guys. Actually proud to have these guys. You’ve been right here for all these two years and I actually should say due to the crowds, to Italy, for all of the assist they gave us. We needed to handle with a number of emergencies in these two years, however we did it and we did it like a household.”