Getting off to a bad start in its Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina, Italy returned to the tie on Thursday (1-1) thanks to the clear victory of world number one Jannik Sinner against Sebastian Baez (27th), before a double which will be decisive.
A place in the semi-finals at stake
Recent winner of the ATP Masters in Turin, his first victory in his native country, defending champion in the Davis Cup, Sinner dominated Baez 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour and a quarter in Malaga, where the phase takes place final of the competition. In the first match of the day, the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (30th) beat the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (17th) 6-4, 6-1.
Everything will therefore be decided during the doubles match, which should, barring last minute changes, pit the Italian pair Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori against the Argentines Maximo Gonzales and Andres Molteni, according to the team compositions published Thursday afternoon by the organizers. The winner will face Australia, defeater of the United States, on Saturday for a place in the final. The green and gold selection beat the United States 2-1 earlier in the day. The other semi-final will pit Germany against the Netherlands.
Italy is looking for a 3rd Davis Cup after its victories in 1976 and 2023, Argentina for its part having only won a Silver Salad Bowl, in 2016. Backs against the wall after Musetti’s defeat , Sinner hardly seemed under pressure against Baez, whom he broke in the 4th game (3-1). The Argentinian never managed to overcome his handicap but still offered good resistance at the end of the set, Sinner only concluding the first set 6-2 on his sixth set point.
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The world No. 1 then inflicted a 6-1 on Baez, who only put him in difficulty in the fifth game, where he however did not convert any of his four opportunities to take the faceoff of the Italian.
Senegal
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