MALAGA, Spain – Matteo Berrettini demonstrated his value to Italy’s singles team by overcoming a late first-set stumble to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia, with a score of 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday. This victory brings the defending Davis Cup champions closer to a return to the finals.
Berrettini seized control by winning the final three games, including a pivotal break that put him ahead at 6-5, and wrapped up the match with his 14th ace after a full battle that lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes.
The second singles match in this best-of-three semifinal is set to feature Italy’s top player, Jannik Sinner, ranked No. 1, taking on Australia’s No. 9, Alex de Minaur. Sinner, fresh from clinching both the Australian Open and U.S. Open titles this year, as well as the ATP Finals last week, entered the match riding an impressive streak of winning his last 22 sets in tour-level singles.
Italy or Australia will face the Netherlands, a first-time finalist, in a decisive match on Sunday, held on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. The Dutch team advanced to the finals after defeating Germany in the semifinals, following their earlier win over Rafael Nadal and Spain.
Australia, which finished as runners-up to Italy last year and to Canada in 2022, aimed to be the first nation in over two decades to reach three consecutive Davis Cup finals, a feat they last achieved from 1999 to 2001. Their last triumph in the tournament came in 2003 with a total of 28 titles.
On the other hand, Italy seeks to become the first nation to win back-to-back Davis Cup titles since the Czech Republic’s victories in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, Italy’s women’s team recently claimed the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia in Malaga.
The arena, seating 9,200 fans, felt especially lively and supportive for Berrettini, largely due to the shorter distance traveled by Italian fans compared to their Australian counterparts. The atmosphere was exuberant, filled with chants such as “I-ta-lia!” and “Ole, ole, ole, ole! Matte’! Matte’!” supported by drums and trumpets. The chair umpire, James Keothavong, found himself frequently requesting the crowd to refrain from whistling during service routines.
“This feels like Italy. It’s unbelievable. I love this atmosphere,” Berrettini expressed after the match.
The powerful Berrettini, who placed second at Wimbledon in 2021, took the spot of Lorenzo Musetti in the singles lineup. Musetti had faltered in a prior match against Francisco Cerúndolo of Argentina.
Despite recently holding a ranking as high as No. 6, Berrettini currently sits at No. 35 due to injury and illness that caused him to miss significant time over the last two seasons. He opted out of two of the four major tournaments this year and faced early exits in the remaining two.
However, when in good health, Berrettini is recognized as one of the elite players globally, known for his fast serves and powerful forehands. Throughout much of the matchup against Kokkinakis, ranked No. 77, he maintained control. Kokkinakis, the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles champion, made significant contributions to his nation’s win over the United States in the quarterfinals earlier in the week.
Berrettini initially broke serve to take a 6-5 lead in the first set and was on the cusp of winning while serving at 40-30. Yet, Kokkinakis managed to save that point through an extended rally, ultimately breaking back as Berrettini faltered in his next attempt. With Berrettini ahead 6-4 in the tiebreaker, he had two more chances to claim the set, but Kokkinakis responded with a decisive backhand and a powerful ace, rallying to take the tiebreaker.
“It was difficult to process… because I missed numerous opportunities,” reflected Berrettini on the match.
Nonetheless, he bounced back, surviving the only break point he encountered from that moment onward, showing resilience and power as he pushed through to victory.