Italy Returns to the Davis Cup Final with an Epic Victory
BOLOGNA, Italy – Defending champion Italy secured their place in the Davis Cup final after a dramatic semi-final. Flavio Cobolli starred in a memorable match against Zizou Bergs of Belgium, with a final score of 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (15), saving seven match points. Cobolli, after squandering six opportunities to close out the match, finally secured the victory for Italy. He celebrated effusively with his teammates and then consoled Bergs, visibly affected by the defeat. The tiebreak of the final set, with a score of 17-15, became the sixth longest in Davis Cup history.Cobolli’s victory secured Italy’s place in the final, with an insurmountable 2-0 lead, without the need to play the doubles match. Previously, Matteo Berrettini contributed to the Italian cause by defeating Raphael Collignon with a score of 6-3, 6-4.“We fight for our country, for this victory, and in the end, I achieved my dream. I played for my whole team, my family, and it’s one of the best days of my life,” declared Cobolli.
Flavio Cobolli
Berrettini’s match was calmer, securing the first set on his serve against Collignon. Although Collignon managed to break serve in the second set, Berrettini remained calm and sealed the victory on his first match point. This edition of the Davis Cup Finals 8 is the sixth of the renewed event, where the champion is defined in a neutral venue.“In my five years as captain, I had never seen anything like it. It’s incredible what the Davis Cup can do. I told Cobolli that it was 5% tactics and 95% heart.”
Filippo Volandri
