Nov 27, 2023, 10:34 am ET
Great gesture. Jannik Sinner, world No. 4 and star of the 2023 Davis Cup, included in a special way Matteo Berrettini, former No. 6, now 91st due to being inactive due to injury. The hero of Italy was key for its country to win the second silver salad bowl in its history, the first after 47 yearsby beating Australia 2-0 in the final in Malaga.
Berrettini and Sinner get along very well and played together a few times in doubles. AP
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Sinner, the great figure of the final phase, undefeated, and with another victory over Novak Djokovic, remembered his compatriot Berrettini, who could not participate with the Italian team in the Davis Cup due to not having recovered from an ankle injury that suffered at the US Open.
However, Berrettini, 27, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, was still present despite not being in Spain. Sinner was one of those who most felt the support of the big server in all the qualifiers and returned the gesture to his friend on social networks, including him in the Italian victory.
In a publication where the team appears with the trophy, Sinner tagged Berrettini in the photograph even though he did not appear in it. That was the plus that the world No. 4 contributed to the team that has Filippo Volandri as captain.
Lorenzo Musetti (27th), Matteo Arnaldi (44th) and Lorenzo Sonego (47th), plus the experienced doubles player Simone Bolelli were the other members of the champion team, which thus won the first Davis Cup for Italy after the 1976 feat, with Adriano Panatta as star. In between, that nation had lost some finals.
In the semifinal, Sinner made the key click by serving 4-5 and 0-40 against Djokovic in the third set. He saved those three match points, with Italy having dropped the opener against Serbia, and then teamed with Sonego to defeat Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic in doubles. And in the definition he crushed the Australian Alex De Minaur. Without a doubt, this 22-year-old, recent finalist at the ATP Finals, was the star and wants more.
2023-11-27 15:34:00
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