The tennis blues inflame the Pala Alpitour in Turin and all the Italian fans with a great victory against the United States: in group E, Lorenzo Sonego and Jannik Sinner beat, both in two sets, Reilly Opelka and John Isner, leading Italy , which today faces Colombia. In the evening, with the result therefore acquired, the double Fognini-Musetti had the worst with the strong American couple Ram-Sock.
But let’s start from the beginning, and that is from the Davis Cup debut of the world number 27 Sonego in his hometown. Deployed by Filippo Volandri – also at the baptism of captain – as the second singles player, he defeats his opponent (26th in the ranking) by 6-3, 7-6. Opelka, two meters and 11 centimeters perhaps preferred to Frances Tiafoe due to her size and power, was able to count on her own serve (12 aces and 81% of points won on the first) and little else: the 23 free errors (a front of the three of the blue) and a single available break point photograph a game that Sonego conducted with skilful balance, keeping the exchanges waiting for the error around the corner, closing the points favored by his own service (90% points won on the first balls) and playing a simply perfect tie break (finished 7-4 and in which he placed two of the 5 aces of the match). The warmth of the audience did the rest. At the end of the game Sonego gave vent to his joy by asking to be able to speak in Italian: “It’s incredible to play in Italy, it’s wonderful to be in Turin, in my city, in my Italy, and now go on Jannik Sinner”.
The South Tyrolean, number 10 in the world, making his debut in the Davis Cup, entered the field with the usual determination and the great maturity to which he has accustomed us (despite his 20 years of age last August 16). He literally demolished Isner (2 meters and 8), number 24 in the world, by 6-2, 6-0 in a challenge that by now from 3-0 in the second set was no longer such: the American appeared disheartened and exhausted, crushed by the opponent’s winners. Sinner started immediately putting Isner in difficulty (who in the only previous one, in Cincinnati, had defeated him) who barely kept the service of the first game. The break has already arrived on 1 equal, and then again on 4-2, thanks to one of the three double faults made by the American, who has struck 23 free errors and collected only 58% of the points on the first. The final score is also the son of the 8 straight winners and the same number of backhand, and 88% of the points on the first scored by the South Tyrolean, who ‘gave’ only 4 points. Useless, therefore, the repeated attempts of Isner’s descent to the net, punctually punished by the passers-by of the blue, also well supported by the public.
The double, at this point, was irrelevant (although in the final balance for access to the knockout phase it actually counts, and that is why the victory of the Americans leaves them a window). Alongside Fabio Fognini, Volandri lined up Lorenzo Musetti instead of Simone Bolelli. The two resisted and fought for a set, showing character and yielding only to the tie break, then in the second set the trend was faster.
But now the gaze is on the match against Colombia (start at 16, clear on Super Tennis): a victory would lead Italy, before the group, to the quarter-finals on Monday, again in Turin.