Third meeting between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in a few days, this time in the Davis Cup, and there will probably be a fourth with the doubles: a continuous crossover that does not surprise the former Davis captain Corrado Barazzutti, now a member of the team that follows Lorenzo Musetti. “I think it’s quite normal that they meet often now, Djokovic we know who he is and Sinner is fourth in the world: a player who has all the characteristics to become number one. In all the most important competitions, given that they often they reach the end, they cross paths. It’s a bit like these meetings and challenges that have now become legendary between Nadal and Federer”, he tells Adnkronos.
Are we already at that level? “We cannot say that we are at those levels in the sense that we met players who have a history of great results but who started meeting when they were young. In this case we are talking about a player who is the best in the world at 36 years old and of a young man who will probably become, I hope, the number one in the world: therefore they rightly meet and it is clear that they cross paths more and more often”.
Italy and Serbia compete in the Davis Cup semi-final. Where can Filippo Volandri’s Azzurri reach? “I think they are equipped to win, in fact we are the best equipped of all. And we have a Sinner who at this point could be fielded in the doubles. Maybe not two years ago but now yes, with the level he has reached: we have one more resource than the others, and if Berrettini had also been there even more. And, I would like to remind you, there is also Musetti who is little used”, second Italian in the world ranking in 27th place after Sinner “but who must be considered a great resource. So we are perhaps the best equipped team in the world.”
Similar concepts are expressed by Paolo Bertolucci. “Sinner has now entered another dimension, he plays on par with the top three in the world. He also showed himself well yesterday in the doubles” against the Netherlands. Now, Jannik again against Nole after the double match at the ATP Finals. “When Djokovic lost in the group you could see that he wasn’t really damned to the point of death. But then, like all sharks, in the semi-final and final he smelled blood and became deadly. In short, he’s in another category, there’s no point in us going around there.”
But in a tournament like the Davis Cup, “when you play everything on the same day and in this way it’s obvious that surprises are around the corner. See Canada who lost to Finland, it can happen. It doesn’t take much, not to mention that the one is sick, the one has a pain in his groin, that one has a pain in his shoulder, in short, the thousand problems at the end of the season.” Can this Italy win the Davis Cup? “Yes, of course, and if Berrettini had also been there we would have been even stronger. We and Serbia are the favorites of this event. Tomorrow we need to manage to go 1-1 in the singles and then play it all in doubles: let’s see what happens” .
#SinnerDjokovic #match #Davis #Cup #NadalFederer