TENNIS: Battling Cobolli sends holders Italy into Davis Cup final

Italy Edges Closer to Third Consecutive Davis Cup Title After Cobolli Thriller. Hosts Italy are on the brink of a third successive Davis Cup title as Flavio Cobolli saved seven match points to defeat Belgium's Zizou Bergs in a thrilling 2-0 semi-final victory on Friday.

The 23-year-old Cobolli, fueled by raucous home support at the SuperTennis Arena, battled to a 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(15) win, with the third-set tiebreak widely regarded as one of the most dramatic in the competition’s history.

Both players delivered spellbinding tennis, trading punishing rallies in the breaker. Big-serving Bergs looked set to extend the tie to the doubles, but Cobolli, who had already failed to convert his first six match points, remained resolute. He ultimately unleashed an unreturnable serve to secure victory, sparking wild celebrations among the fans.

Earlier in the day, Matteo Berrettini powered past Raphael Collignon 6-3, 6-4 to give Italy the initial lead. The win marked Berrettini's eighth consecutive match victory in the competition, following his perfect 6-0 record last year as Italy successfully defended the title.

Italy will now aim to complete the three-peat in Sunday’s final against the winner of Saturday’s Germany-Spain clash. Should they succeed, Italy would become the first nation to win three consecutive Davis Cup titles since the Challenge Round was abolished after the 1971 edition. -Martyn Herman/Reuters