On Sunday, Jannik Sinner, an inspired Italian, clinched his country’s first Davis Cup win in nearly 50 years, smashing Australia’s Alex De Minaur to secure a 2-0 victory for the Azzurri.
Sinner, Italy’s number one, outclassed a helpless De Minaur 6-3 6-0 after Matteo Arnaldi defeated Alexei Popyrin in the first singles round.
Sinner, the world number four, finished the week with five wins in a row, including a dramatic performance on Saturday’s semi-final against Novak Djokovic, who overcame him to keep his country alive against Serbia after saving three straight match points.
Then, with teammate Lorenzo Sonego, he defeated Djokovic and the Serbian’s partner Miomir Kecmanovic in the doubles round to advance Italy to the championship match against 28-time champion Australia. A day later, Sinner won the trophy in spectacular fashion.
The Italian took the lead early in the first set and never let De Minaur get close, hitting the ball with unrelenting power from the baseline.
Sinner’s purple patch held until he converted his third match point to win the game, setting off celebrations among teammates, referees, and a boisterous Italian contingent inside the Malaga venue that has played host to this week’s exciting Final Eight.
As Italy celebrated winning their first Davis Cup since 1976 and only their second overall, Sinner stated, “It helps a lot to play for the whole team and it’s been an incredible feeling for all of us.”
“I want to thank the Australian team for traveling so far.”
