BOLOGNA, Italy — Flavio Cobolli triumphed over Filip Misolic with a score of 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday, securing a commanding 2-0 victory for Italy, the two-time defending champions, against Austria. This win paves the way for an exciting Davis Cup semifinal showdown against Belgium.
Cobolli capped off his impressive performance with a stunning service winner after just 65 minutes, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The much-anticipated semifinal is set for Friday.
Italy has maintained a remarkable streak, winning 12 consecutive Davis Cup ties since their last defeat to Canada in the finals group stage in 2023.
Earlier in the day, Matteo Berrettini secured victory over Jurij Rodionov, winning 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Berrettini showcased his resilience, rebounding from a 5-2 deficit in the second set. He broke his opponent in the ninth game and saved three set points before clinching the tiebreaker on his first match point.
Matches in this format are contested as a best-of-three, rendering the doubles match unnecessary.
Italy, holding the top ranking, is aiming for its third consecutive title and a total of four overall.
Jannik Sinner, the four-time Grand Slam champion who led Italy to victories in 2023 and 2024, has chosen to sit out this season’s Davis Cup final.
Austrian team, ranked 12th, has only triumphed over Italy once in their six previous matchups—back in the 1990 quarterfinals in Vienna, marking their best performance in the team event.
The Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna represents the sixth edition of this revamped tournament, now featuring the champion crowned at a neutral venue.
Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, a six-time Grand Slam winner who recently finished as runner-up to Sinner at the ATP Finals in Turin, has withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.
On Thursday, Spain will face the fourth-seeded Czech Republic, while second-seeded Germany prepares to take on Argentina in the final two quarterfinal matches.
