Team Australia were knocked out of the Davis Cup by Italy for the second consecutive year.
World number one Jannik Sinner delivered a clinical performance against Alex de Minaur – a repeat of last year’s final match – to secure Italy’s spot in the Davis Cup final in Malaga for the second year running.
With the Italians poised to defend their title as they go against final debutants, the Dutch, they have the opportunity to achieve a historic Davis and Billie Jean King Cup double.
With the women, led by Jasmine Paolini, having beaten Slovakia in the final to make amends for their defeat at the same stage last year, the men’s side are just a few sets away from pure Italian dominance.
Sinner’s decisive victory followed Matteo Berrettini’s hard-fought comeback win over Thanasi Kokkinakis, rounding out a 2-0 triumph in the semi-finals.
Lleyton Hewitt frustrated at Davis cup organisers and crowd
Lleyton Hewitt has never hesitated to voice his frustrations with the ongoing changes to the Davis Cup, particularly regarding its scheduling and structure.
He criticized the decision to schedule qualifiers so soon after the physically demanding US Open, calling the setup “ridiculous” for players transitioning from a Grand Slam to national competition.
Hewitt has also been outspoken about the logistical challenges his Australian team faces, including limited practice time and the strain of traveling extensively for a tournament designed to be global yet held mainly in Europe – in fairness, over half the teams in the last eight were Europe based.
A two-time Davis Cup champion himself, Hewitt remains a staunch advocate for the traditional home-and-away format, which he believes better respects the essence of the competition.
Speaking with renewed urgency, Hewitt emphasized the lack of support for hosting in Australia, saying: “Once again, we’re a long way from Australia, aren’t we? It will be nice when they take our bid seriously to host the finals. Australia will put on a bloody good event.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis rues lack of atmosphere for Team Australia
Kokkinakis also highlighted a far bolder European supporting contingent – something that he suggested gave Italy an advantage.
“I felt I was playing an away tie, it was tough on Australia — we were playing in Spain but I thought we were in Italy,” said Kokkinakis.
A surprise pick to play the opening singles rubbers in the quarter and semi-finals, Kokkinakis certainly proved his worth despite the tight loss to Berrettini.
A clever and combative win over Ben Shelton saw Kokkinakis clinch a marathon tie-break 16-14.
The Australian number seven also saved two set points in the opening set against Berrettini, before falling in three – despite his complaints, there are still plenty of individual positives he can take.
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