Davis’s captain: “Jannik in blue is fantastic, he does not put himself on the throne but he is always close to his teammates. He has done something extraordinary to Wimbledon. We aim to win the third Davis in the next three years, always at home”
Filippo Volandri meets Wimbledon, the atmosphere, the prestige, the value of the oldest tournament. For him, former top 20 and captain of Davis, to live the emotion of the first Italian victory in Wimbledon was the finish line of a journey full of satisfactions in these two London weeks. The historical triumph of number 1 in the world, the many good performances of the blues and an increasingly large and rich rose to draw for for Davis that Italy will have to defend in Bologna in November.
Captain, how did the final experience?
“As something extraordinary. It was a question of understanding how Jannik would react to the Wimbledon final, which is different from all the others and had never played it. Neither of them in the first game played a clean tennis, but then Jan put another march. He is a great, extraordinary tennis player”.
Why can’t a final in Wimbledon be compared to any other?
“The Center Court is different from all the other Slam. The atmosphere is always special, it can intimidate because that is the field where all the greats triumphed, where the history of tennis has been made”.
At the beginning the enthusiasts on the stands hanging a little more from Alcaraz’s side, then as the game went on, Sinner took the heart of the Center Court.
“A cheer very different from that of Paris where the support for Alcaraz had been felt so much. Here at the beginning there was rightly a slight preference for the Spaniard, then it was seen that they cheered for the game and the show. On the end, however, the cheering for our champion has raised himself strong”.
All the blue boys also expressed the joy for Sinner’s victory, even the youngest to whom he seems to have also made a little old brother.
“When Jannik is on the pitch, when a match has to play, it’s a war machine. When he is in Davis, or when there are other Italians it is fantastic because he always makes himself available. This is also his greatness: he does not get up there on the throne from number one but always tries to help in his own way with a word, a stimulus, a question as he asked London even with Vasamì and Basile”.
It can count on a large and varied rose and on guys who go to each other.
“Yes, and as a technician as well as as a captain of the national team he makes me happy that they are all like that. Has Berrettini has always helped Cobolli, even when he made his debut in Davis. In Paris Musetti he trained with Vasamì. During the training breaks we speak, we exchange opinions, we grow up”.
There was talk before Cobolli, because Sinner is the number 1, it is a champion, and it is a bit difficult to identify. But the growth of Flavio is another message that can get to the top with work and commitment, how do you see it?
“Flavio every now and then says he doesn’t like to train, but it is not so. He has become very professional, he grew up, matured and results have arrived. Now he must be treated as a strong player. I told his father Stefano, who is also his coach. The programming becomes important, how many and which tournaments, the recovery. Cobolli is an extraordinary athlete and this preparation must be maintained. So you have to manage everyday life”.
In light of this historic victory, how do you imagine the blue future?
“More and more beautiful. And I think that we federal technicians also took a while than ours. When I played I was all unrelated, each for themselves, with their own coach, there was so much diffidence towards the Federation. Instead we were good at making us available to the players, creating a climate of trust and collaboration. A virtuous circle that is doing well to everyone has been created. Umberto Rianna.
Not for nothing we won the Davis twice in a row … there is no two without three?
“The project is to win the third within the next three years, in which we will always play at home. We have a team so rich and varied that when someone does not make it, there are others who are fine. Also in Wimbledon, we had the premature releases of caps and muzzles but we balanced with the good news of three Italians in the round of 16 with a rediscovered Sonego, a cobbles in the quarterfinals and the title of Jannik. Wimbledon, boys “.
© RESERVED REPRODUCTION