{"id":186189,"date":"2023-11-26T05:26:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T05:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiansapidnews.com\/?p=186189"},"modified":"2023-11-26T05:26:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T05:26:21","slug":"sinner-stuns-djokovic-then-doubles-up-to-send-italy-into-davis-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiansapidnews.com\/sport\/sinner-stuns-djokovic-then-doubles-up-to-send-italy-into-davis-cup-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Sinner stuns Djokovic, then doubles up to send Italy into Davis Cup final"},"content":{"rendered":"
It is only the fourth time Novak Djokovic lost a tour-level match after having a match-point.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jannik Sinner became the first player to beat the 24-times Grand Slam champion twice in singles in the same season since Daniil Medvedev in 2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n Italy returned to the Davis Cup final after a gap of 25 years as Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in both singles and doubles to secure a 2-1 victory over Serbia on Saturday that earned the 1976 champions a title clash with Australia.<\/p>\n Sinner and doubles partner Lorenzo Sonego beat the Serbian duo of Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-4 to secure a famous victory that sent the former champions packing and sparked wild celebrations at a heaving Martin Carpena Arena in Spain.<\/p>\n Up next for Filippo Volandri’s side, who will be playing in an eighth final and seeking a second trophy, are 28-times champions Australia after Lleyton Hewitt’s team eased past giant-killers Finland on Friday.<\/p>\n Sinner earlier saved three match-points to stun Djokovic 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in an extraordinary singles match to help Italy draw level with Serbia at 1-1 after Kecmanovic had put the 2010 champions ahead by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-1.<\/p>\n Sinner was facing Djokovic for the third time in 11 days and the world number four, who beat the top-ranked Serbian early in the ATP Finals before losing to him in the title clash, made a quick start to ease through the opening set with two breaks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 22-year-old, who had sparked Italy’s comeback in their quarter-final against the Netherlands, took his foot off the gas in the next set to allow Djokovic back in but kept chipping away in the hope of sealing a second win over him in six meetings.<\/p>\n He saved three matchpoints from 0-40 at 4-5 in the decider and then broke Djokovic for a 6-5 lead before holding his nerve to make a forehand pass and pull off one of the most remarkable wins of his career amid deafening cheers.<\/p>\n “It was for sure the game-changer today,” Sinner said of his singles heroics at 4-5.<\/p>\n “I just tried to push in every single point and the 0-40 game helped the confidence and also after I broke him. It’s all part of tennis.<\/p>\n “Obviously playing doubles in the decider of a Davis Cup tie is not easy. There’s a lot of pressure, I think we both handled it really well. We are a very complete team and each one of us is really happy to be here.<\/p>\n “Tomorrow we’ll try our best. Let’s see what’s coming.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Defeat was a bitter pill for Djokovic, the winner of three of the four Grand Slams in a stellar season, as the 36-year-old lost his first Davis Cup singles match since the semi-final in 2011 when he retired against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.<\/p>\n It was only the fourth time Djokovic had lost a tour-level match after having a match-point and Sinner also became the first player to beat the 24-times Grand Slam champion twice in singles in the same season since Daniil Medvedev in 2019.<\/p>\n Kecmanovic had earlier rallied from a set down to power past Musetti and leave Serbia one win away from their third final in the elite men’s team competition and first since 2013.<\/p>\n Musetti made a slow start against the high-flying Kecmanovic and narrowly avoided going down a double break, before the world number 27 found his range to level the first set at 5-5 and come from behind again in the tiebreak to clinch it.<\/p>\n Kecmanovic’s level barely dropped, as the world number 55 breezed through the next set and broke twice in the third for a 4-0 lead, which was enough for the 24-year-old to see off Musetti who was battling a thigh issue.<\/p>\n