Davis Cup, Italy at the Finals, 2-1 against Argentina: Berrettini and Sinner win

by our correspondent Federica Cocchi

September 16
– Bologna

Jannik Sinner returns, exalts, scares, then closes the 2-0 who gives Italy the ticket for the Malaga Finals overcoming Cerundolo 2-0. In the first set of the match against Cerundolo, Jannik starts a bit contracted. The field is very slow compared to New York and, as Berrettini also said after his first match in blue, it takes some getting used to. The Argentine takes some of him because he runs, plays and lets people play, and Sinner has to raise the level to get to the 11th game break point to go 6-5 and close 7-5. In the second set, however, it will be fatigue, it will be the ankle that is still a little bruised, at Sinner’s house the light goes out, he loses the bar twice and the dreaded 6-0 is on the verge of the “bagel”. With the boost of the 6000 of the Unipol Arena, also called into question by the player who learned to surf on the wave of enthusiasm, Jannik closes 6-1 and returns for the decisive set a little more on the ball. In the sixth game he grabs a break, goes up 4-2, but the serve doesn’t help and when it’s time to serve for the match at 5-3 he gets 5 match points canceled and then offers Cerundolo the chance to return. Berrettini from the bench screams like a madman, loads the teammate who saves himself from the counterbreak and earns the sixth match point. This time he closes with a first for the 7-5 1-6 6-3 which gives the victory to him and to Italy which now with two successes is already certain to be in Malaga.

Easy caps

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In the afternoon it was Matteo Berrettini who won the 1st blue point in the match against Argentina. The Italian number 2 took the field first against Sebastian Baez, closing the practice very quickly with a 6-2 6-3 without ever granting break points. Matteo, in the first match against the Argentine, took the lead in the second game, confirming the advantage and climbing up to 3-0 and controlling Baez without problems. In the eighth game, thanks to a double foul by the Argentine, Matteo ended the set 6-2. On the velvet also the second set, with the decisive break in the 6th game to go to close 6-3. “I had to put in a high pace – said the Roman after the game -. Or I could have complicated my life because Baez knows how to do many things. Today I felt much more at ease than on Wednesday. After all we all come. from New York where the conditions were quite different. This course is a bit slower, which is not ideal for me, but it also allows me to use the rotations a bit more. “

Double defeated

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Instead he lost the double, with Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli who surrender in the third set against the Argentine couple Gonzalez / Zeballos. The Azzurri lose the first set 7-5, react and bring home the second 6-2, but lose 6-3 to the third.