Italy will face Belgium in the Davis Cup semi-finals after winning Wednesday’s singles matches. The team defeated Austria in front of an enthusiastic Bologna crowd.
Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli claimed straight-sets victories on home soil. Their performances compensated for the absences of star players Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.
Sinner and Musetti withdrew from Italy’s title defence on home soil recently. However, the Azzurri dominated even without two players ranked in the world’s top 10.
Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini played a crucial role in Italy’s success. He proved instrumental to Italy retaining the Davis Cup last year.
Berrettini comfortably defeated Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in one hour and 35 minutes. The Italian demonstrated his championship experience throughout the encounter.
Berrettini trailed 5-2 in the second set before the match faced interruption. Officials halted play for half an hour due to lighting problems.
The 29-year-old rallied magnificently to win three consecutive games. He saved three set points to draw level at 5-5.
Berrettini then won the tie-break to secure victory and put Italy ahead. His resilience proved decisive in this crucial quarter-final encounter.
“I’m really proud of how the boys managed both matches,” said team captain Filippo Volandri. “Matteo possesses this character perfectly suited for these competitions.”
“He consistently finds solutions in difficult moments,” Volandri continued. “This quality makes him invaluable for our team’s success.”
Cobolli, ranked 22nd in the world, made short work of Filip Misolic. The Italian defeated Austria’s highest-ranked player 6-1, 6-3 to secure Italy’s semi-final spot.
The 23-year-old won his first titles in Hamburg and Bucharest this year. He breezed past Misolic in little more than one hour.
The majority of 10,000 fans present in northern Italy celebrated Cobolli’s victory. Their enthusiastic support energised the Italian team throughout both matches.
“This represents definitely the best day of my life,” said Cobolli afterwards. “I’ve always dreamed of wearing this jersey and representing Italy.”
“I play for my teammates, my family and my team,” he added. “This moment means everything to me as an Italian player.”
Italy’s singles victories meant Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori avoided their doubles match. They would have faced Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler.
Argentina face Germany whilst Spain take on the Czech Republic on Thursday to determine the rest of the semi finalists.
Spain will compete without world number one Carlos Alcaraz unfortunately. The Spanish star withdrew with a hamstring injury on Tuesday.
The Davis Cup continues to provide thrilling encounters as nations battle for glory.
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