Double defending champions Italy sealed their place in the Davis Cup final after a dramatic 2-0 victory over Belgium in Bologna on Friday, highlighted by Flavio Cobolli’s extraordinary 32-point tiebreak win. Matteo Berrettini set the tone for Italy by defeating Raphael Collignon 6-3, 6-4, giving his team an early lead.
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Cobolli then delivered one of the most memorable Davis Cup performances in recent history, outlasting Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (17/15) in a match stretching just over three hours. The 23-year-old Italian broke serve only once but saved seven match points in a nerve-shredding final tiebreak before sealing victory with an ace. “I played for all of my team, my family, and it’s one of the best days of my life,” he said afterward.
The contest was filled with high-pressure moments as neither player conceded a break point in the second set, and Bergs battled fiercely to stay alive in the third. The Belgian earned multiple break opportunities but was repeatedly denied by Cobolli’s powerful serving under pressure, forcing the decisive tiebreak that ultimately swung Italy’s way.
All for one and one for all ❤️#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/VKZXE4trho
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 21, 2025
Italian captain Filippo Volandri hailed the match as unprecedented, saying, “In the five years I’ve been captain, I’ve never seen anything like it. In the end, it was 5 per cent tactics and 95 per cent heart.” Italy, unbeaten in Davis Cup play since September 2023, have now won 13 consecutive tiebreaks in the competition despite missing key players Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.
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Italy will face either Spain or Germany in the final. Spain advanced after beating the Czech Republic 2-1 on Thursday, while Germany — led by world number three Alexander Zverev — overcame Argentina by the same score.