Davis Cup semifinal
In the Davis Cup semifinal match against Serbia on Saturday, Jannik Sinner saved three match points in an exciting victory over top-seeded Novak Djokovic to tie the score at 1-1 and send the match to the decisive doubles. On Sunday, the victors will play Australia in the championship match. Djokovic and Sinner will return for the decisive doubles match.
“We were one point away from being eliminated from this competition and we are still here,” Sinner remarked following his 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Following Miomir Kecmanovic’s incredible comeback to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-1, Djokovic was determined to finish the job and make history by leading Serbia into the championship match for the first time in ten years.
Jannik Sinner’s Win
Sinner, though, defeated Djokovic for the second time in eleven days, ending the 36-year-old’s run of 22 straight Davis Cup singles victories. In front of a packed house at the Martin Carpena arena, Sinner once again produced the first of the trilogy in the ATP Finals group stage, even though Djokovic took the second to win the championship.
Following his dominant performance in Thursday’s victory over Cameron Norrie, Djokovic made headlines when he got into a fight with boisterous British fans and then expressed his rage at being required to take a doping control test prior to the match.
Djokovic double faulted and then hit a backhand volley into the net to give Sinner, 22, the opening break and a 2-1 lead.
Jannik Sinner converted the second of two break points with a backhand down the line winner, and after the Serbian started much below par, he consolidated to race into a 5-1 lead.
In just 38 minutes, the Italian completed his incredible first set with an ace, hitting 12 winners to Djokovic’s meek one. He appeared to have the match under control, but he gave up a double fault on the first break point he was awarded, falling behind 3-1.
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In Davis cup match, after Sinner gave Djokovic another chance, he mercilessly capitalized and broke the set again with a whipped forehand.
In the second set, Djokovic committed just three unintentional errors against Sinner’s ten.
The momentum was with the Serbian, who has won seven titles this season, including three Grand Slams.
In the third set, Djokovic prevailed as Sinner was unable to pressure the Serb’s serve and saved two break points. Sinner appeared to crack in the 10th game, sending two balls wide and then hitting the net to give up three match points, but then won five consecutive points to hold for 5-5. He then broke Djokovic and held comfortably to triumph.
Italy, who won the Davis Cup for the only time in 1976, started well in the first singles rubber too. Musetti, chosen to play by Italy coach Filippo Volandri over Matteo Arnaldi, who played in the first singles in the last eight win over the Netherlands, edged a nail-biting first stanza.
The world number 27 conceded a service break in the first game, but battled his way back in for 5-5, the first break Kecmanovic has conceded in an impressive week.
In the tense tie-break Musetti converted his third set point to take the lead, but Kecmanovic responded strongly in the second set.
The Serbian broke at the third time of asking for a 4-2 lead, when Musetti hit the net with a backhand volley and then clinched the set with another break.
Miomir Kecmanovic’s effortful try
In Davis Cup match, which was going in full flow, Kecmanovic broke twice in the third to rack up a 5-0 lead, winning nine consecutive games, with Musetti getting treatment on his left hamstring as the match slipped away.
Kecmanovic swept to victory with a powerful forehand winner, falling to the floor in delight.
“It wasn’t easy at all, I wasn’t positive after the first set,” said the world number 55, chosen over the higher-ranked Laslo Djere.
“But I knew that if I wanted to have a chance to win, I had to switch the mindset and, especially now when you play for so much, you know you’re going to give everything you have.”
