BOLOGNA, Italy — In a thrilling showdown, Raphael Collignon surged back to triumph over Corentin Moutet with scores of 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, securing a 1-0 advantage for Belgium against the formidable 10-time champions, France, in their Davis Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday.
Both teams are making a return to this stage of the revamped competition since its overhaul in 2019. The Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna marks the sixth occasion where the champion will be crowned at a neutral venue.
Moutet showcased strong performance until a critical moment in the 12th game of the second set, where a couple of double faults and a misplayed easy volley—attempting an audacious between-the-legs shot—allowed Collignon to seize the opportunity and push the match into a final set.
Similarly, the third set mirrored this tension as Collignon made a crucial break in the ultimate game to clinch victory.
“It was a wild match,” Collignon expressed, reflecting on the intensity of the competition.
French player Arthur Rinderknech is set to face Zizou Bergs in the second singles match. The ties are formatted as a best-of-three battles, featuring two singles contests and one doubles match.
France holds the upper hand with victories in the last four encounters against Belgium, including the final in 2017.
The triumphant team will advance to face either top-seeded Italy or Austria in the semifinals on Friday. The remaining quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday, featuring No. 2 Germany taking on Argentina and Spain going head-to-head with the No. 4-seeded Czech Republic.
Notably, Spain will compete without their star player Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew earlier on Tuesday due to a hamstring injury.
