Berrettini gets Italy off to best start in Davis Cup final
Italy are within touching distance of another Davis Cup crown
Matteo Berrettini (Zuma/Panoramic)
Matteo Berrettini got Italy off to the best start possible in their Davis Cup final against the Netherlands, defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-2 in the first singles match of the day.
“It feels unbelievable – it feels really good to be on court. If you win, it’s better!” Berrettini said afterwards. “I missed these moments [when out through injury].”
It was a great display on serve from the Italian – with 16 aces, plus 86 per cent of first serves won, in a match that lasted only 76 minutes.
Berrettini broke to love to take a 5-4 lead, giving himself the chance to serve out the first set – which he did with a second serve that van de Zandschulp could only tap into the net.
Berrettini piled on the pressure at the start of the second. Van de Zandschulp could do nothing about a rocket of a forehand down the line to see Italy to break point, and a double-fault handed Berrettini the game.
And the Italian continued his fine shot-making throughout the second set, finding his groove and continuing to hit his forehand superbly together with some magnificent cross-court chips.
It was a well-deserved and decisive victory for Italy’s No 2 singles player over a man who had won his other two singles matches in Malaga this week.
Tallon Griekspoor now has a very tough task in front of him – knowing he needs to beat world No 1 Jannik Sinner to keep his country in with a chance of winning the Davis Cup for the first time ever.
