Italy won the Davis Cup for the second time, defeating Australia 2-0 in the final played at Martín Carpena from Malaga. A stage that hosted the defeat of the ‘Aussie’ team for the second edition in a row.
Australia is, after the United States, the second most successful Davis Cup nation. He has 28 ‘silver salad bowls’, but has not lifted one since he won in Melbourne in 2003, at the Australian Open’s Rod Laver Arena, although for the occasion the hard court was turned into grass.
Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis, Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge They chose grass to increase their chances in Spain, where they were formed Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Moyà, Alex Corretja and Feliciano Lópezled by Jordi Arrese.
Hewitt, a former world No. 1 and Wimbledon champion, that time, when there was an option to host the Davis Cup final, choose conditions. Furthermore after seeing how Canada and Italy took the ‘salad bowl’, in 2022 and 2023, respectively, he was included as a victim.
saw how Matteo Arnaldi lose Alexei Popyrinlike a high Jannik Sinner ruined Alex de Minaur. Painful for Hewitt.
And he didn’t bite his tongue. It explodes again in the existing format, because of the concentration. And he knows that in 2024, if he passes the group stage, he will return to Malaga, indoors and on the hard courts.
“I’m really fed up!” he admitted. “There is no home and away in the qualifiers, no five-set matches. It is not ideal. We always play on the same surface. To be honest, yes, I am fed up,” he said.
He went on to argue that “it’s not the Davis Cup. It’s played on dirt, grass, outdoors. There are other things. And it’s disappointing that not all types of surfaces and conditions in the Davis Cup, especially in the big final matches it. ,” ie.
Yes, this happens in the previous qualifying rounds, in February. The group stage and the Final for 8, indoors and on hard courts. Australia avoided qualification in January, as did Italy and guests Spain and Great Britain.
Hewitt praised, however, his players, as well as the organization in Malaga: “They have their hands tied, for the format that it is they have made a great event.” And this does not detract from any merit from the Italian champion. Especially Jannik Sinner: “The conditions helped him, but he showed why he is among the four best in the world.”
Source: La Verdad
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