Despite the withdrawals of their top players Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, host Italy dominated the Davis Cup final tournament and won for the third time in a row. Flavio Cobolli (ATP 22nd) and Matteo Berrettini (56th) did not allow a single double that would make the decision if there was a tie after the singles. For ORF expert Alexander Peya, the current dominance of the Italians is no coincidence.
Without their top duo Sinner (ATP 2nd) and Musetti (ATP 8th), the Italians confidently won the final against Spain in front of a fanatical home crowd in Bologna and underlined their current supremacy in the international tennis circus.
Without defeat, they basically dominated the tournament with the reserve team. The team spirit and the breadth of possible players made this possible – eight Italians are in the top 100 in the current ATP world rankings, 15 in the top 200.
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“This is special for everyone involved because they have proven that they are not dependent on a Sinner,” said Peya. “With the double they wouldn’t have had to hide, even though they didn’t need it.” Even without the top duo, the pressure was enormous, especially at home.
“They withstood this impressively. The fact that other nations also competed without some top stars (Spain without Carlos Alcaraz, note) should not diminish the success of the Italians,” said Peya. Italy won the Davis Cup with their numbers three and six according to the ATP rankings.
Origin of great density
The density in Italian tennis is sensational. Italy is the new Spain and has become an absolute tennis power. For Peya, the reason for this is obvious: “They are doing many things very right. A few years ago the philosophy was changed, Italy invested in local training centers and local coaches, they also brought in experts in a wide variety of areas such as analysis, strategy and fitness.” A lot of money was put into it. The current success proves the Italian collective right.
Third triumph for Italy
Italy won the Davis Cup for the third time in a row. Without top players Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, the team celebrated a special triumph in Bologna in front of their own fans.
A particularly important aspect of the Italian upswing is the tournament landscape. Starting with the juniors, ITF Futures or Challengers: “There is a competition almost every week. That is of course sensational for young players. Just in terms of travel costs or logistics. The whole program is now bearing fruit,” said Peya. Athletes can concentrate on playing and developing – without having to fly countless kilometers.
In the quarter-finals, the Italians easily won 2-0 against Austria with Jurij Rodionov and Filip Misolic. ÖTV captain Jürgen Melzer’s team now has to compete in the Davis Cup qualifying round in Japan in February, as the draw on Sunday in Bologna revealed.
