Italy won the Davis Cup title for the second year in a row. Matteo Berrettini hit 16 aces to clinch the opening rubber match over Botic Van de Zamdschulp. World number 1 player Jannik Sinner crowned a memorable 2024 season with another trophy one week after winning the ATP Finals in Turin following a straight-set win over Tallon Grieekspoor in the second match. Italy won the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup in the same year.
Matteo Berrettini beat Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 in just 76 minutes to give Italy a 1-0 lead over the Netherlands in the first match of the Davis Cup Final in Malaga.
Berrettini fired 16 aces and won 86% of his first serve points. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist won 9 of 11 games from 3-4 down to improve to 5-0 in his head-to-head series against Van de Zandschulp. Berrettini won 86% of his first serve points and did not face a break point.
Both players went on serve until the ninth game when Berrettini earned his first break at love to take a 5-4 lead earning the chance to serve for the first set. The Italian player closed it out on his first set point with a second serve that Van de Zandschulp could hit into the net.
Berrettini earned a break point in the third game of the second set when Van de Zandschulp with a forehand down the line. The Italian player converted hhis first break when Van de Zandschulp made a double fault. Berrettini earned a double break in the seventh game to open up a 5-2 lead and served out the win on his second match point.
Berrettini earned a well-deserved win over Van de Zandschulp, who had won his other two singles matches earlier this week.
Berrettini has won all his six matches in the Davis Cup this year.
“It feels unbelievable. It feels really good to be on court. If you win, it’s better ! I missed these moments when out through injury”, said Berrettini.
Griekspoor earned the only two break points in the third game but Sinner saved them to hold serve at deuce to take a 2-1 lead. Both players went on serve in the next games. Grieksppor hit a serve and volley and an ace to take the first set to the tie-break. Sinner hit a drop-shot to open up a 5-2 lead and sealed the tie-break with an aceout wide.
Sinner went up a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead, but Griekspoor broke straight back with two backhand passes to draw level to 2-2. Sinner came back from 15-40 down to break serve in the fifth game for 3-2. The Italian star held serve to love before earning another break in the seventh game to open up a 5-2 lead. Griekspoor saved three match points from 0-40 down. Sinner closed it out on his fourth match point with a serve out wide that Griekspoor could not return.
Sinner went into the match against Griekspoor with a 5-0 lead in his head-to-head matches against the Dutch player, although he lost the first set in their previous matches.
Sinner ended the year with a 73-6 record. He becomes the first player ever to win two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the uS Open, three Masters 1000 titles in Miami, Cincinnati and Shanghai, the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup in the same season. He claimed theYear-end world number 1. “It’s been an amazing year. I am very proud of the team. There is a lot of work behind it. We are very happy to hold this trophy again. It was a very difficult day today because anything can happen. We are happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy”, said Sinner.
