Fresh off losing to Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals title match last Sunday, Jannik Sinner of Italy defeated the Serbian star 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 on Saturday, then beat Djokovic in a doubles match to send Italy to its first Davis Cup final in 25 years.
In the singles victory, Sinner saved three match points at 4-5 in the final set, then broke Djokovic to take control and win the two-hour, 35-minute match.
Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic opened the day with a 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-1 win over Lorenzo Musetti, meaning the winner of the doubles match would go on to face Australia in the final. Italy’s last Davis Cup win came in 1976.
Sinner teamed with Lorenzo Sonego to beat Djokovic and Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4 to send Italy to the final.
In his singles win, Sinner saved seven of nine break points, including five in the final set alone.
When he was down 4-5 and love-40, Sinner won 13 of the match’s final 16 points. Sinner is 2-2 against Djokovic this season and 2-4 overall.
In the doubles match, Sinner and Sonego had little trouble in the first set, but there were a combined 10 break chances in the second.
Novak Djokovic’s six French Open finals
The Italians fought back from love-40 at 2-3, saving four break points to tie the match before breaking for a 4-3 advantage.
Serving out the match, Sinner and Sonego erased another break point to clinch a 2-1 victory, sending Italy to the Davis Cup final for the eighth time.
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