Argentina’s
Davis Cup captain Guillermo Coria stated that
Jannik Sinner is one of the best
world No. 1s in history following the team’s quarterfinal loss in the Finals.
The South American team came close to achieving a historic upset after starting
the series with a win, but Sinner led Italy to turn the tie around.
In the
first match,
Francisco Cerundolo surprised
Lorenzo Musetti with a straight-sets
victory, giving Argentina a great chance to eliminate the defending champions.
Sinner then overwhelmed
Sebastian Baez in the second match with a commanding
6-2, 6-1 win to level the series.
From shocking start to Italian glory
In the
deciding doubles match, Italian captain Filippo Volandri made a bold decision,
leaving out doubles specialists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori to field
Jannik Sinner and
Matteo Berrettini. The duo secured a 6-4, 7-5 win over
Argentina’s doubles experts Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, sending Italy
to the semifinals.
Sinner, who
is enjoying a near-unbeatable streak, claimed the ATP Finals title just four
days prior (his eighth title of the season) and now boasts a stunning 70-6
record in 2025. Argentina’s captain Guillermo Coria reflected on the challenge
of facing a player in such formidable form: “We all knew Sinner’s level, the
moment he is in. We faced one of the best number ones in history. His level did
not surprise us at all,” the former French Open finalist said.
“Because of
that, one has to take into account three important things: how our players are
physically, also the power of the rival and the alternatives we have to form in
each of the points,” the former world No. 3 added. “Italy showed great respect
for our doubles, leaving out a very competitive pair that came from the Finals
and fielding the No 1 in the world even with little rest behind him.
“We were
almost sure that it would have gone like this in the event of 1-1. Gonzalez and
Molteni were prepared for this eventuality and I never thought of putting a
singles player in their place. They deservedly won, we congratulate them.”
On Saturday,
Sinner and company will face Australia in the semifinals, in a repeat of the
2023 final. The Oceanians have just eliminated the USA and will be looking for
revenge against an Italian team that looks favored to retain the title.