MALAGA: World number one Jannik Sinner triumphed in singles and doubles to help Davis Cup holders Italy beat Argentina 2-1 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals.

Italy will face Australia after they earlier defeated record 32-time winners the United States with a tense 2-1 victory.

Sinner won his first two Grand Slams this season, as well as triumphing at the ATP Finals last week without dropping a set, and blew Sebastian Baez away 6-2, 6-1 after Francisco Cerundolo comfortably beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 in the opening rubber.

In the decisive doubles battle, Sinner and Matteo Berrettini shaded Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez 6-4, 7-5 to progress.

“If they put me on the court in doubles I try my best,” said Sinner. “Matteo played unbelievable today, he carried me.”

Italy booked a third consecutive return to the semi-finals and are favourites to win the Davis Cup for a second year running, in no small part because of Sinner’s presence.The doubles teams were tied until the ninth game of the first set when Sinner won three points and then Molteni clipped his passing shot which headed wide to hand Italy the decisive solitary break.

The second set was even tighter with Italy — who last lifted the trophy 47 years ago — breaking for a 6-5 lead and sealing their victory with a Sinner smash.Argentina’s captain Guillermo Coria said he was pleased with his team taking Italy to the wire.

“It speaks of the respect Italy have for us, and my doubles pairing, that they put the world number one out there,” he said.

“We were close to taking out a powerful team like Italy.”

Australia’s match-up with the US was the most played in Davis Cup history with this their 48th meeting — the first was in 1905.

In the opening rubber, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis edged Ben Shelton 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (16/14) with a gripping tie-break triumph.

Taylor Fritz pulled the US level in the tie by beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 before Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over Shelton and Tommy Paul.

Australia, who have lifted the trophy 28 times, second only to the US, last won the tournament in 2003 and finished as runners-up in the last two editions.

With world number four Fritz leading the charge for a strong US squad, the Americans were hoping for a first title since 2007.

However Kokkinakis’ tie-break heroics and Australia’s doubles team won them an even quarter-final clash.

“We had to rush out here and get the job done for our country and we love nothing more than those pressure moments,” said veteran Ebden, 36.

World number 77 Kokkinakis saved four match points and spurned six of his own before eventually prevailing to end the thrilling tie-break, the joint-sixth longest in the competition’s history.

After Fritz defeated De Minaur, US captain Bob Bryan opted for two singles players in Shelton and Paul over his doubles specialists but said he had “no regrets” despite the result.

Australia were beaten by Italy in last year’s final and will be out for revenge on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, November 23th, 2024