Italy and Australia will each look to end their long wait for a Davis Cup triumph as the likes of Jannik Sinner and Alex De Minaur do battle in Malaga on Sunday.
Sinner has been the story of the Davis Cup so far, twice starring in victories over Novak Djokovic in the last four to lead his Italy team into the final, giving them a great opportunity to finally end their 47-year wait and lift the famous trophy again.
They will have to overcome a shocking record in Davis Cup finals against Australia, however, having lost all three of the meetings against them in showpiece games at the tournament.
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De Minaur will look to extend that winning run on Sunday, taking on Sinner in the second singles match having beaten Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori to clinch a 2-0 win and help Australia to reach a second consecutive final.
Australia are led by captain Lleyton Hewitt, who will be hoping his team can avoid the same fate as in the 2022 edition, when they were beaten in the final by Canada. Hewitt has enjoyed great history in the competition, winning the opening singles match in 2023 to set up the final victory over Spain.
In the final’s other matches, Alexei Popyrin and Matteo Arnaldi will look to get their teams off to a positive start in the opening singles match, before Australia’s Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell will do battle with Italy’s Simone Bolleli and Lorenzo Sonego in what could prove to be a pivotal doubles match.
The teams for the Final are 🔒#DavisCupFinals pic.twitter.com/hyJ9SM3t2e
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 26, 2023
How to watch
The final will be available to watch live for those who subscribe to the Tennis Channel International.
It will also be live on BBC iPlayer for those in the United Kingdom.
What’s been said?
De Minaur said: “No one really wants to play us. We’re a very solid squad, a lot of depth in every single position, and if we can get ourselves to a deciding doubles, we’ve got an unbelievable pairing as well.
Sinner said: “We will try to stay as relaxed as possible, keeping a smile in our head, which is important also, and then also to be happy to be here. For me, it’s the first time that we can play a final in Davis Cup, which means a lot for us.”
Prediction
Sinner has been the star of the tournament, and he looks like he could be the man to lead his nation to a long-awaited Davis Cup triumph.
The match between Arnaldi and Popyrin could go either way, as well as the doubles, but a Sinner victory over De Minaur could have Italy heading into a decisive final match with momentum and that may well be the difference.
