Cobolli’s tiebreak heroics seal Italy’s Davis Cup surge
Flavio Cobolli turned Bologna’s SuperTennis Arena into a cauldron of comeback drama, saving seven match points in a grueling decider to drive Italy into their third consecutive Davis Cup final.
In the electric hum of Bologna’s SuperTennis Arena on November 21, 2025, Italy’s Davis Cup semifinal against Belgium pulsed with the weight of national pride and personal redemption. Matteo Berrettini struck first, his baseline precision carving out a 6-3, 6-4 win over Raphael Collignon to hand the hosts an unassailable lead. The stage then belonged to Flavio Cobolli, whose battle with Zizou Bergs would define the tie and etch a new chapter in Italy’s dominant run.
Berrettini builds calm momentum
The former No. 6 player absorbed Collignon’s initial probes with deep returns that neutralized early aggression, setting up crosscourt forehands to stretch the court wide. Berrettini’s serve, a steady anchor on the indoor hard courts, fueled a one–two pattern that broke the Belgian twice, securing the opener without flourish but with the quiet authority of experience. This marked his seventh straight singles victory in the competition, a thread in Italy’s title defense from the previous year, easing the path for his teammate amid the swelling home crowd.
Cobolli, at 23, carried the shadow of a round-robin loss to Bergs from last season, a defeat that had simmered through months of ATP grind. He seized the first set 6-3 by layering underspin backhands to jam his opponent’s rhythm, redirecting pace with inside-out forehands that forced hurried errors. Yet the second slipped into a 6-7(5) tiebreak, where Bergs’ inside-in strikes exploited fleeting footwork slips on the slick surface.
“it’s really tough to say something about this match,” Cobolli said. “We fought for our country, for this win, but in the end I realised my dream. We are in the final now... I played for all of my team, my family, and it’s one of the best days of my life.”
Cobolli defies match points in epic
The decider erupted into a 32-point tiebreak marathon, with Cobolli saving all seven match points in a display of raw nerve and tactical shifts. He disrupted Bergs’ down-the-line threats with slice defenses that shortened rallies, then countered with crosscourt winners to reclaim ground, flipping their head-to-head to 2-1. The arena’s chants swelled with each denial, the lights catching sweat-slicked determination as the Italian ripped his shirt in victory, channeling the crowd’s frenzy into a 7-6(15) escape.
32-POINT FINAL SET TIEBREAK
7 Match points saved @DavisCup | #DavisCup | @cobollifla pic.twitter.com/pE388FW6cO— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 21, 2025
This wasn’t mere survival; it avenged last year’s sting and underscored Italy’s depth on a surface where patience outlasts power surges. Bergs pushed with aggressive serves and penetrating groundstrokes, but Cobolli’s adjustments—varying depth to unsettle footing, mixing pace to break patterns—turned pressure into propulsion, sealing the 2-0 sweep.
Three-peat path lights up ahead
Now the first nation to reach three straight finals since Australia in 2001, Italy rides a 13-tie winning streak into the weekend, their earlier doubles triumphs a harbinger of versatility. They await the outcome of Spain’s semifinal against Germany, both sides advancing via pair deciders that tested resolve much like Cobolli’s stand. With Berrettini’s steadiness complementing the younger player’s fire, the Azzurri eye a historic three-peat unseen since the United States in 1971, the Bologna air thick with the promise of dynasty on home soil.
