The players representing Australia in the Davis Cup have pledged to come back to Malaga and win the championship next year, following their defeat in the final of the men’s team tournament on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Australians faced a formidable opponent in Jannik Sinner and his impressive 6-3, 6-0 win over Alex De Minaur led to Italy’s first title in 47 years. This made the doubles match unnecessary.
De Minaur also participated in last year’s defeat against Canada in the final at the same venue. The player, currently ranked 12th in the world, found comfort in Australia’s strong performance since the finals structure was altered to include three rubber matches.
He informed reporters that no other country has achieved back-to-back wins in the past two years, so our collective effort is impressive.
“We are in a very close position, and it’s not a pleasant situation, but as I mentioned last year, we will bounce back. We will overcome this challenge, especially with a promising future ahead of us.”
In 2003, Australia claimed their 28th title and have since made it to the last two finals without the presence of Nick Kyrgios, who has been unable to participate due to injury and last competed in the Davis Cup in 2019.
Captain Lleyton Hewitt has built a solid team camaraderie among players such as De Minaur, who ranks 40th in the world, Alexei Popyrin, and Jordan Thompson, who is ranked 55th. The doubles partners, Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, also contribute to the strong bond within the team.
De Minaur, feeling disappointed, admitted that he was surpassed by the fourth-ranked player in the world, Sinner, in the second singles match, following Popyrin’s loss to Matteo Arnaldi in the first match.
Ignore the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
“Jannik is currently riding a remarkable wave of confidence … his level of performance is truly impressive,” he remarked.
“I am determined to improve and find strategies to defeat players like this in the future. Unfortunately, I was not at my best today. It is disheartening that I could not give my teammates the opportunity to play in the doubles match; that is my biggest regret.”
Source: theguardian.com
