Photo Credit: Getty Images
World number one Jannik Sinner (23) defeated Alex de Minaur (25) in straight sets to power holders Italy into the Davis Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Australia on Saturday. The two-time winners will face the Netherlands in Sunday's showpiece after the Dutch ousted Germany 2-0 on Friday to make the final for the first time in 104 years of trying.
After Matteo Berrettini earned a 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 win over Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis in two hours 46 minutes, Sinner - who has never lost against De Minaur in nine matches including last year's Davis Cup final - triumphed 6-3, 6-4 in Malaga. Australia, beaten finalists in each of the last two years, are the second most successful team in the tournament's history with 28 titles but last won it in 2003. "I had one of the best feelings ever last year winning the Davis Cup," said Sinner. "We're happy to be back (in the final), it will be a very tough encounter but we will give 100 per cent." Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals winner Sinner is enjoying a superb year and can cap it with another Davis Cup triumph.
The 23-year-old is still waiting for the outcome of the World Anti-Doping Agency's appeal against his initial exoneration for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. However, he has not been distracted, and despite world number nine De Minaur battling hard, the Italian claimed the first set without much stress. The players exchanged breaks in the second and third games before Sinner broke decisively for a 4-2 lead with a delicious drop shot, and he served it out. In the second set, De Minaur produced some fine shots including a sensational lob in the sixth game as he battled back from 0-40 down, but the tricky Sinner was able to hold.
The Italian worked the first break points of the second set in the ninth game. De Minaur saved two but Sinner converted the third with a passing shot to serve for the match. A Sinner smash drew match point and he claimed victory when De Minaur went badly wide and mangled his racquet in sheer frustration.