Matteo Berrettini sent Italy to the verge of yet another Davis Cup final after a sharp straight sets win over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon on a roaring night in Bologna.
Backed by a packed 10,000-strong home crowd, the former Wimbledon finalist barely put a foot wrong as he powered through 6-3, 6-4, riding out a brief wobble in the second set to keep Italy’s title defence firmly on track.
Victory leaves Italy just one win away from reaching a third consecutive Davis Cup final, a run not seen since Australia pulled it off back in 2001. Flavio Cobolli now has the chance to finish the job when he faces Zizou Bergs in the second singles rubber.
All this has come despite Italy missing their top guns: world No.2 Jannik Sinner and No.8 Lorenzo Musetti. The Azzurri are bidding to become the first side in 53 years to complete a hat trick of Davis Cup titles, a feat Sinner opted to sit out as he rests from a long season after lifting the ATP Finals trophy last week.
The absence of star names with only one top 10 player involved across the whole event has sparked fresh debate about the competition’s format and calendar spot. But Berrettini and Cobolli, who impressed in the quarter final win over Austria, insisted they’re simply buzzing to pull on the shirt.
Berrettini set the tone early in Bologna, racing into a 3-0 lead with an immediate break before closing out the first set with ease. He broke again to start the second after two Collignon double faults, but the Belgian hit back to level at 2-2 and threatened to flip the momentum.
The Italian steadied himself, saving another break point with a stunning cross court forehand and then pouncing once more on return to reclaim control. He served out calmly to secure his 10th straight singles win for Italy, an impressive record for a man ranked just 56 in the world and still fighting his way back to top form.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Berrettini said afterwards. “Obviously I feel it, but you’re playing in front of your home country, my whole family is here. We’re all great friends in the team. It’s such a special feeling, I just enjoy the moment.”
If Italy get over the line, they’ll face either Spain or Germany in Sunday’s showdown with history firmly in sight.