Italy and Canada are 1-1 after the two singles matches in the challenge valid for the semifinals of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals, which end on Sunday on the fast indoor court of the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga, Spain.
After the splendid victory of Lorenzo Sonego against Denis Shapovalov, nothing to do for Lorenzo Musetti (n.23 Atp), defeated in two sets by Felix Auger-Aliassime (n.6 Atp) with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in just over an hour of play.
Revolution in the two teams before the double: in Italy Matteo Berrettini, until yesterday on the bench due to plantar fasciitis that stopped him in Naples, enters the field with a 1-1 draw in the semifinal with Canada in place of Simone Bolelli, who has a sore calf. In Canada Augier-Aliassime replaces Denis Shapovalov, who injured his back in the match against Sonego, alongside Pospisil. It is not the first time in the national team for Matteo and Fabio: the two have already played together in the ATP Cup in 2019 and always in the same year in the Davis Cup, in Madrid, against Canada: against Pospisil and Shapovalov they won 6-2 3 -6 6-3. In tournaments there have been many matches together, with even one victory: in 2018 in St Petersburg. Auger-Aliassime and Pospisil have won two doubles together this year, against Korea and against Spain’s Granollers and Martinez in the group stage in Valencia, winning in three sets.
For the Azzurri it is the 18th semifinal in Davis, the first since 2014. Australia led by Lleyton Hewitt was already in the final, who surprised Croatia in the decisive doubles match on Friday. For Australia, which boasts 28 trophies, it will be the first appearance in the final since 2003.
Sonego: “Match of level, I would have been happy even if I had lost”
«It was exciting, we both played at a very high level. Playing with him isn’t easy, he’s a warrior who never gives up, it’s always difficult to beat him and end the game. I expected to get to the third set». Thus the Italian tennis player Lorenzo Sonego, on Sky Sport, after the victory over the Canadian Denis Shapovalov which earned Italy 1-0 in the Davis Cup semi-final against Canada. “The work I’m doing in training is paying off, this gives me confidence in my abilities together with my team,” he added. “Even if I had lost I would still have been happy, the important thing is to give my heart and take the points with courage, I was happy and proud of myself up to that moment,” he concluded.
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