6 months ago
2
Hosts Italy closed successful connected a 3rd successive Davis Cup rubric arsenic Flavio Cobolli saved 7 lucifer points to bushed Belgium's Zizou Bergs successful a thriller and seal a 2-0 semi-final triumph connected Friday.
The 23-year-old Cobolli, roared connected by frenzied location enactment wrong the SuperTennis Arena, clawed his mode to a 6-3 6-7(5) 7-6(15) triumph with the third-set tiebreak 1 of the champion ever seen successful the competition's affluent history.
Both players produced immoderate spellbinding tennis successful a bid of punishing rallies successful the 32-point breaker with the assertive shot striking of Bergs looking arsenic though it would nonstop the necktie to the deciding doubles.
But Cobolli, who besides failed to person his archetypal six lucifer points, would not beryllium denied and yet fired down an unreturnable service to spark chaotic celebrations successful the stands.
"In the 5 years I've been captain, I've ne'er seen thing similar it," said Italy skipper Filippo Volandri. "This lucifer was incredible; successful the end, it was 5 per cent tactics and 95 per cent heart."
Earlier, Matteo Berrettini powered past Raphael Collignon 6-3 6-4 to enactment Italy successful front. It was Berrettini's eighth successive lucifer triumph successful the contention aft helium won each six helium played past year, including doubles, arsenic Italy retained the rubric by beating the Netherlands successful the final.
Italy volition effort to implicit the three-peat successful Sunday's last against either Germany oregon Spain who look disconnected connected Saturday.
Should they prevail, they would go the archetypal federation to triumph 3 successive titles since the Challenge Round was abolished aft the 1971 event.
Cobolli, who was a regular successful the 2023 title-winning side, is playing arsenic Italy's fig 1 successful the lack of satellite fig 2 Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti and has risen to the situation successful magnificent fashion.
After thrashing Filip Misolic connected Wednesday to seal Italy's comfy quarter-final triumph implicit Austria helium was pushed overmuch harder by the 43rd-ranked Bergs who battled backmost from a dilatory commencement to agelong Cobolli to the limit.
"It's truly pugnacious to accidental thing astir this match," Cobolli said. "I played for each of my team, my family, and it's 1 of the champion days of my life."
Italy, who are connected a 12-tie winning streak, are the archetypal federation to scope 3 successive Davis Cup finals since Australia successful 2001, though Australia mislaid 2 of those.
