BOLOGNA, Italy — Two-time defending champion Italy reached the Davis Cup last after Flavio Cobolli beat Zizou Bergs of Belgium 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (15) after saving seven match factors in a dramatic semifinal on Friday.
After losing six match factors of his personal, Cobolli lastly obtained Italy over the road. He ripped off his shirt and celebrated along with his teammates and finally went to consolation Bergs, who was consoled by his group as he cried on his chair.
The 17-15 last set tiebreak was the sixth longest in Davis Cup historical past.
“We fought for our nation, for this win, however in the long run I noticed my dream,” Cobolli mentioned. “I performed for all of my group, my household, and it is among the finest days of my life.”
Cobolli gave Italy an unassailable 2-0 lead while not having the doubles contest.
Italy is driving a 13-tie successful streak and meets the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between Germany and Spain, which is with out injured No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Earlier, Matteo Berrettini beat Raphael Collignon 6-3, 6-4 to assist Italy on its approach.
Neither Belgian has received a singles title on the lads’s tour. However the No. 43-ranked Bergs performed prefer it was the largest match of his life in opposition to No. 22 Cobolli, who had the gang behind him in Bologna.
From 3-3 within the second set tiebreaker Bergs discovered his vary and levelled the match with a forehand to the again of the courtroom which Cobolli returned lengthy.
The gamers then swapped and missed match level possibilities, with Cobolli finally triumphing with a service winner that Bergs might solely simply get his racket on.
Cobolli jumped into the arms of group captain Filippo Volandri, who someway managed to look calm all through the rollercoaster tiebreaker.
“In my 5 years as a captain I’ve by no means seen something like that. However that is what Davis Cup does, it was unbelievable,” Volandri mentioned. “On the finish, I advised (Cobolli) it is 5 per cent ways and 95 per cent coronary heart.”
It was a extra snug match for Berrettini, a 2021 Wimbledon runner-up with 10 singles titles on the tour.
He clinched the primary set on serve in opposition to No. 86 Collignon.
Collignon dropped his opening serve of the second set however he broke again for 2-2. Berrettini withstood aggressive shot-making to interrupt for 4-3 and received on his first match level with a love maintain.
The Davis Cup Last 8 is the sixth version of the revamped occasion that has the champion determined at a impartial website.
