Sinner draws Italy level with Dutch in Davis Cup quarters

MALAGA, Spain :Italy's Jannik Sinner beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(3) 6-1 as the former champions levelled their Davis Cup quarter-final against dark horses the Netherlands at 1-1 on Thursday and set up a deciding doubles match.

Botic van de Zandschulp earlier rallied from a set down to beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-7(6) 6-3 7-6(7) as the Dutch took a 1-0 lead in their bid to match their best result of reaching the semi-finals of the premier men's team competition in 2001.

Current Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis, who was a part of the team that lost to eventual champions France 22 years ago, will need doubles veterans Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer to beat Simone Bolelli and Lorenzo Sonego to progress.

Filippo Volandri's Italy were boosted by the return of world number four Sinner and the 22-year-old, who was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals title clash on Sunday, got them back into the tie with an impressive display against Griekspoor.

He edged the opening set before breezing through the next in only 20 minutes.

In the day's opener, Arnaldi squandered two set points and saved one as the world number 44 won a tight opening set in the tiebreak when Van de Zandschulp sent a forehand long.

The Dutchman drew level after Arnaldi dropped serve in the eighth game of the next set and the world number 51 saved match points in the decider to seal victory after nearly three hours.

Italy won their only Davis Cup title in 1976 and are looking to reach back-to-back semi-finals for the first time since three straight last-four appearances in 1996-98.

The winners of the tie will take on a Serbia side featuring world number one Novak Djokovic or Britain, who face each other in their quarter-final later on Thursday.