Italy’s dream of playing in the first final of the new Davis Cup format vanished in Malaga under the aces of Felix Auger-Alissime, who was decisive in bringing Canada the points to make it 2-1 which will allow them to challenge Australia tomorrow the conquest of the silver salad bowl. The doubles match on Thursday evening had promoted Italy, which had been missing from the semifinals for eight years, but today the feat has not been repeated.
After the victory of Lorenzo Sonego over Denis Shapovalov and the defeat of Lorenzo Musetti with Auger-Alissime, captain Volandri alongside Fabio Fognini fielded Matteo Berrettini in place of a Simone Bolelli who was not at his best, but the blue pair succumbed to the North American duo formed by Vasek Pospisil and the n.6 in the world, in turn called in place of a tired and bruised Shapovalov. The afternoon had started well for the Azzurri, thanks to a very solid Sonego who got the better of the talented but fickle Shapovalov with a score of 7-6, 6-7, 6-4. Great balance on the pitch in a match that also had various highly spectacular moments, with many winners on both sides, with the first two sets decided by tie breaks. In the second game, Sonego made it all the way to 5-2 but the Canadian pegged it back to 5-5.
A double fault by the blue conceded another set-point to Shapovalov, who didn’t need to be asked to equalize the score. In the third set, with the Italian ahead 2-1, the rival had to ask for ‘medical time out’ due to a back problem, resolved by the intervention of a physiotherapist. The turning point came in the seventh game, when Sonego canceled three break points to make it 4-3. Then in the tenth game Shapovalov handed over the match to Italy with three double faults after more than three hours of play. The second singles match was much shorter, given that Auger-Alissime beat Musetto 6-3, 6-4, not feeling the pressure of a match that could already be decisive. At 3-2 the Canadian went on 0-40 then conquering break that made him fly up to 5-2. With an ace at 204 kilometers per hour, Auger-Aliassime closed the set 6-3 in 39 minutes. The blue struggled to hold the serve at the start of the second set but then held on until 4-4, when two down the line by a hair sent the Canadian up again to 0-40, who took advantage of it to take the lead and then close 6-4, in one hour and 25 minutes. The double, with the pairs revolutionized at the last minute by the two captains, was fought point by point, between the delicious touches of Fognini and the solidity of Berrettini in the service, but at the tie break a mistake by the Roman immediately gave the Canadians an advantage, taking at 4-2 and then able to close without conceding anything else to the blues. In the second set, Italy gave the impression of being able to recover the disadvantage, but in the key moment Fognini lost his turn to serve, giving Auger-Aliassime the chance to go and serve for the match at 6-5. Italy moved up to 15-40, then the Canadian regained his lucidity and never missed a serve again. Tomorrow he will be the one to go hunting for the trophy, while Italy stopped but showed, also given the absence of Jannik Sinner and Berrettini’s semi-condition, that they can try again permanently in the coming years.
