After 47 years the “salad bowl” returns to Italy. The Davis Cup in the hands of Jannik Sinner, the hero of this blue adventure in Malaga. De Minaur was easily beaten in the second match of the final (3-6; 0-6), after Arnaldi had got the better of Popyrin. The South Tyrolean is certainly the number one creator, as was Panatta in 1976, but everyone was good and deserves to write their name in this historic undertaking. Volandri like Pietrangeli, Sonego like Bertolucci. Arnaldi and Musetti have not done anything wrong
For the Azzurri it was the eighth final, for Australia it was the 49th final act (20 “salad bowls” won). In the final, Italy had already faced the Australians (and lost) on three occasions, namely in 1960, 1961 and 1977. The Azzurri had not played a final Davis Cup match for 25 years (since 1998); while Australia had played the last final 20 years ago, i.e. for the last success, dated 2003.
Easy sinner against De Minaur
Jannik Sinner won the second and decisive point in favor of Italy in the Davis Cup final against Australia, which took place on the fast indoor stage of Malaga. The Italian tennis player, 22 years old from San Candido, number 4 in the world, prevailed over Alex De Minaur, 24 years old from Sydney, number 12 in the international ranking, with a score of 6-3 6-0. For the South Tyrolean only victories in these Finals: he won five matches, that is, three singles and two doubles, leading Italy, captained by Filippo Volandri, to conquer the second “salad bowl” in history. Today’s match was dominated by Sinner, who never lost serve. In the first partial break in favor of the blue in the third game and in the ninth game. The second half was without history. It is Italy’s second success in Davis, after the first, “historic” victory in 1976. In addition to Sinner and Matteo Arnaldi, who raised the Cup to the sky, who today won the first point, beating 2 7-5 -6 6-4 Alexei Popyrin, Lorenzo Sonego, decisive in the doubles against Holland and Serbia in these Finals, Lorenzo Musetti and Simone Bolelli. Forced to the bench due to injury, but always in the front row cheering for his teammates, Matteo Berrettini.
Arnaldi’s first point
Matteo Arnaldi scored the first point for Italy in the Davis Cup final, against Australia, staged on the fast indoor stadium in Malaga. The Italian tennis player, 22 years old from Sanremo, number 44 in the world, prevailed over Alexei Popyrin, 24 years old of Russian origins, number 40 in the international ranking, with a score of 7-5 2-6 6-4. The two number ones are now on the pitch: the South Tyrolean Jannik Sinner opposite Alex De Minaur. The blue won the first set 6-4
The match won by Arnaldi was not beautiful, from a technical point of view, with many errors on both sides, but it was full of emotions. In the first set, after a break on each side (in the fourth and fifth games), at 5-4 in his favor, with Popyrin serving, the blue player wasted three set points. At the same time, at 5 all, he canceled two break points from the Australian, before breaking his rival in the decisive twelfth game.
In the second half, at the start, an immediate break in favor of Popyrin, who then broke Arnaldi’s serve again in the third game, escaping ahead in the score, before closing at 6-2, after having failed two set-points at 5- 1 in his favor. In the third set the decisive break in the tenth game, with the Italian doing well to break the balance and close the match at 6-4.
Arnaldi: “Most important race of my career”
«I’m happy with the emotion I felt… It was certainly the most important match of my career. I didn’t play my best game but I’m happy to have brought it home.” thus Matteo Arnaldi at the end of the first singles of the Davis Cup final, in which he won the first point for Italy by beating Alexei Popyrin.