2023-11-24 23:24:52
Australia, thanks to Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, winners of the Finns Emil Ruusuvuori and Otto Virtanen, qualified for the Davis Cup final on Friday in Malaga. She will challenge Novak Djokovic’s Serbia or Jannik Sinner’s Italy on Sunday.
The Australians will play the 49th final in their history in this event which they have won 28 times, four crowns fewer than the United States. Last year, already in Andalusia, they fell on the last step against Canada. “It’s not too bad to reach another final. For us, this cup is a priority, we do everything we can to represent Australia, with pride and passion,” commented Alex de Minaur.
Sinner or Djokovic in the final?
After coming close to elimination in the previous round against the Czech Republic (2-1), Australia was more authoritarian against Finland, who had eliminated the Canadians, the defending champions, in the quarter-final. The decisive point was brought in the second single by Alex de Minaur (12th in the world), who upheld the logic of the ATP ranking, by winning 6-4, 6-3 at the expense of Emil Ruusuvuori (69th). Earlier in the afternoon, Alexei Popyrin (40th in the world) barely struggled to defeat Otto Virtanen (171st) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Australia, whose last title in the competition dates back to 2003, will have a lot to do in the final, because the rival that will stand in their way will be of another caliber, whether it is Serbia of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or the Italy of world No. 4 Jannik Sinner. The two players in great form at the end of the season will meet for a third time in the space of ten days. At the ATP Masters in Turin, the Serb easily dominated the Italian in the final (6-3, 6-3), after the latter had beaten him in the group match 7-5, 6-7, 7-6. Novak Djokovic dreams of offering his country a second coronation after the one won in 2010 against France. The Azzurri also covet a second title, after a long wait of 47 years.
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