The Italian Davis Cup squad joined the series this Saturday, adding a fresh chapter to the current edition. In the last eight championships, a match held in Malaga saw them defeat Serbia 2-1, thanks to two wins from Jannik Sinner. He faced Novak Djokovic in singles, delivering a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 performance that kept Italy in contention, and then sealed the comeback in doubles alongside Lorenzo Sonego with a 6-3, 6-4 result against Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic. (Source: tournament records)
Sinner again stepped into a heroic role against the Netherlands, keeping Italy on a path toward the quarter-finals as they kicked off this phase with a setback. In the singles, Djokovic prevailed over Lorenzo Musetti in a tightly contested match that included a decisive tiebreak, though Musetti had shown flashes of great form before tiring in the late stages. Kecmanovic defeated Musetti with a scoreline of 7-6, 7-6, 6-1, highlighting the Italian youngster’s early improvement that ran out of steam in the decisive moments. (Source: match statistics)
The action shifted to the José María Martín Carpena Sports Palace, where the Italian challenger pushed hard and disrupted Musetti’s rhythm by breaking his serves in crucial moments, including the latter stages of the second set. This pressure helped secure the doubles and set the tone for the rest of the tie, with Italy showing resilience over nearly two hours of high-stakes tennis. (Source: venue report)
The decisive encounter at the last ATP Finals brought Djokovic back to center stage in Turin, where Sinner sought to avenge a recent defeat in front of his home crowd. Sinner appeared remarkably composed at the start of the match, moving with speed and precision while keeping his serve intact and minimizing his errors. Djokovic, though, began to shift gears as the second set progressed, translating firm returns and steady serving into opportunities that put pressure on the Italian’s game. (Source: finals coverage)
Djokovic needed to manage his first-serve percentage and sustain a higher intensity, and he delivered with a strong stretch in the second set. He broke Sinner’s serve in the fourth game, quickly turning the momentum and climbing to a lead that looked decisive at times. Yet the match remained tightly contested as the players traded opportunities and momentum swings. The balance shifted again as the third set unfolded, with both players trading powerful shots and tactical wit. (Source: match summary)
In the pivotal moments, Sinner faced a pressure-filled stretch. After starting the third set with a break to take an early edge, Djokovic pressed back fiercely, threatening to swing the momentum in his favor. The crowd watched closely as the Serb attempted to capitalize on a string of aggressive plays, but Sinner answered with resilience and accurate shotmaking that kept the scoreboard tight. The tension mounted as exchanges grew longer and more arduous for both players, underscoring the high level of competition between the two champions. (Source: game-by-game recap)
Three match balls were recovered
During a fierce phase of the encounter with the scoreline edging in Djokovic’s direction, a tense moment emerged at 2-3, followed by a decisive stretch in which Sinner clawed his way back. At 3-4, he saved a match point and, at 4-5, the ATP No. 1 found himself facing three match points in a single sequence. It was then that the Italian produced a miraculous surge, erasing the danger and turning the tide in his favor. (Source: live blog)
With renewed confidence, Sinner shifted the momentum and moved from a deficit to a 5-5 tie, finally breaking in the subsequent game to seize control that Djokovic would not overturn. In the twelfth game of the decisive set, after more than two and a half hours of battle, the San Candido native sealed the victory. The comeback at that moment gave Italy the edge in the tie and left the audience spellbound. (Source: match coverage)
The Italian duo, Sinner and Sonego, had prepared well from the outset, and their calm, steady play translated into a controlled performance on the Carpena court. Despite nerves on serve for Sonego, the partnership managed to create a strong first-set lead and maintain discipline into the second. The combination proved fruitful, with a solid doubles showing that carried over into the subsequent singles rubbers and kept Italy on course for the overall win. (Source: team analysis)
The doubles victory, achieved in just over an hour and a half, positioned Italy to face the Australian team in the grand final slated for Sunday. Malaga looked on as the Italian champions earned a place in the final, while Djokovic and the Serbian squad left the arena with the feeling of a semifinal watched in real time by a passionate tennis audience. (Source: final preview)