BOLOGNA, Italy — Two-time defending champion Italy returned to 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 Friday.
After losing six match factors of his personal, Cobolli lastly bought Italy over the road. He ripped off his shirt, celebrated with teammates and finally went to consolation Bergs, who was consoled by his workforce as he cried on his chair.
The 17-15 final-set tiebreak was the sixth longest in Davis Cup historical past.
“We fought for our nation, for this win, however ultimately, I noticed my dream,” Cobolli stated. “I performed for all of my workforce, 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. Earlier, Matteo Berrettini beat Raphael Collignon 6-3, 6-4 to assist Italy on its approach.
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.
Neither Belgian participant Friday has received a singles title on the lads’s tour. However the No. 43-ranked Bergs performed prefer it was the most important match of his life towards No. 22 Cobolli, who had the group behind him in Bologna.
From 3-3 within the second-set tiebreaker, Bergs discovered his vary and leveled the match with a forehand to the again of the court docket that Cobolli returned lengthy.
The gamers then swapped and missed match level possibilities, with Cobolli finally triumphing with a service winner that Bergs may solely simply get his racket on.
Editor’s Picks
Cobolli jumped into the arms of workforce 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 stated. “On the finish, I instructed [Cobolli], it is 5% ways and 95% coronary heart.”
It was a extra snug match for Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up with 10 singles titles on tour. He clinched the primary set on serve towards No. 86 Collignon.
Collignon dropped his opening serve of the second set however 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 Closing 8 is the sixth version of the revamped occasion that has the champion determined at a impartial web site.
