Flavio Cobolli dramatically sent Italy to the Davis Cup final in front of their own audience in Bologna on Friday evening.
Cobolli and Belgian Zizou Bergs each saved seven match points before the Italian eventually converted the fifteenth chance overall into a 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(15) victory. The thrilling semi-final rubber lasted three hours and four minutes and resulted in a 2-0 sweep for the host nation. It was preceded by Matteo Berrettini’s 6-3, 6-4 victory over Raphael Collignon.
Bergs saved two match points at 4-5 in the third set, before fending off another five in the tiebreak. Cobolli, who was behind 6-4 in the ‘breaker’, thwarted several match points on Bergs’ own serve. The world number 22 finally put an end to the incredible theater at 16-15 with a huge service winner.
“It’s really difficult to say anything about this match,” Cobolli said during his on-field interview. “We played for our country and fought a lot for this victory. In the end I fulfilled my dream and we are now in the final. I played a great match against a great opponent. I am very happy with it. Of course I played for my whole team, for my whole family, for me… Yes, it is one of the best days of my life.”
“I think you only have this match in the Davis Cup,” said captain Filippo Volandri. “We saw two great players fighting for their country. They both did an incredible job. It only took one to win. In the end, we did it.”
The Italians will wait for Germany or Spain in the final on Sunday. They are going for a Davis Cup three-peat, having lifted the trophy in both 2023 and 2024 when the Davis Cup final was held in Malaga, Spain.
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