After battling their way through 10 days of fierce competition, Team USA and Team Italy will clash in the final tie of the United Cup in Sydney this afternoon.
Previewing the deciding match-up on Nine’s Weekend Today, tournament director Stephen Farrow said the Americans would be coming in hot off the back of a dominant run, but that was no reason to doubt Italy.
“The USA has been so strong throughout the competition. They’ve got a magnificent lineup of (Jessica) Pegula, (Taylor) Fritz, (Francis) Tiafoe and Madison Keys – four of the very best players in the world.
“But Team Italy has been strong as well. They had a sensational semi-final last night against Greece, which they won through. The crowd was unbelievable. So, we’re really, really excited about this one.
Ranked fifth before taking the scalps of Brazil, Norway, Poland and top-seeded nation Greece, Farrow said the homelike support shown to Italy had had a dramatic effect.
“That big support makes all the difference,” he said.
“We saw Martina Trevisan defeat Maria Sakkari the other day in the Greece-Italy semi-final, in a match that took over three hours and was absolutely sensational.
“Then last night, Matteo Berrettini was cheered on by a raucous crowd. He did lose to Stefanos Tsitsipas but then Lucia Bronzetti won the Italian team through to the final so it may feel like a bit of a home fixture for the Italians and it’s sure to create a magnificent atmosphere.”