Australia's hopes of another Davis Cup final appearance have ended after Alex de Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis suffered back-to-back singles defeats against champions Italy in Malaga.
After Kokkinakis was downed in a tight three-set battle with Matteo Berrettini in the opening singles rubber on Saturday (Sunday AEDT), de Minaur was outgunned once again in straight sets by world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
Runners-up to Sinner-inspired Italy last year and to Canada in 2022, Australia were battling to become the first nation to reach three successive Davis Cup finals since achieving that feat from 1999 to 2001.
