Tennis, Hopman Cup: Canada wins, Italy beaten 2-1

No “triple” for tennis Italy. After Davis and Billie Jean King Cup, the Azzurri went very close to the conquest of the other prestigious team trophy, the Hopman Cup, but in Bari Flavio Cobolli and Lucia Bronzetti were stopped by the Canada of Felix Auger Aliassime and Bianca Andreescu, 2-1 winner in the final. The audience was not enough, the incredible comeback of Cobolli was not enough, from Monday number 18 in the world, who had managed to equalize the accounts after an epic match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Unnecessary comeback

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The Canadian, former number 6 in the world, had gone on a set and 4-1 in the second, left in hand and Hopman Cup one step away. But Cobolli is Cobolli, he is a new player compared to the past, one who never gives up. If Wimbledon has taught one thing, to the Roman, it is precisely the desire to never give up. And not even in Bari Flavio did it. Sustered by a fantastic audience, Cobolli first reassembled and conquered the second set, and then drew the accounts by winning the match 6-7 (7) 7-6 10-8 at the Super Tie break, after more than two hours of play. In the female singular, before, Lucia Bronzetti had given up to Bianca Andreescu, a former top 5 and winner of the US Open 2019. A 6-2 6-3 for the Canadian 2000 class without too many stories: the Rimini area too tense and too foul, with very few weapons to counteract a player in a state of grace such as Andreescu tonight.

Decisive mixture

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The hopes of Italy then informed themselves on the mixed double, but here the Canadians were perfect, with a dominated match and a double 6-3 that leaves the bitterness in the mouth of Italy, who hoped to close the circle with an event, the Hopman Cup, never won in history. The appointment with the cup, however, is only postponed …