Flavio Cobolli capped off a heroic week at the Davis Cup Finals by providing the clinching point for Italy on Sunday evening in Bologna. Cobolli came back from a set and a break down to beat Jaume Munar 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5, finishing off a 2-0 sweep for the host Italians over Spain.
The 23-year-old got wiped off the court in set one and dropped serve in the opening game of the second before beginning his comeback. He broke back immediately for 1-1 and eventually played a flawless tiebreaker to force a decider. Both players held serve the entire way before Munar finally blinked at 5-5. Cobolli then served out the match with ease at 6-5 to secure a third consecutive Davis Cup trophy for his country.
Cobolli’s success was preceded by Matteo Berrettini’s 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening rubber. Berrettini blasted 13 aces without double-faulting and he did not face a single break point.
“It’s impossible to describe this feeling,” Cobolli commented. “I dreamed a lot for this night. I played an amazing match today. I don’t know how I won. The match was tough. Jaume played so good…. We cannot lose for our country. Sometimes you learn, but you never lose if you give all you have in your heart…. I don’t know what I did today; I don’t know where I am. The only thing I know is that I’m world champion.”
Cobilli’s final two singles rubbers in Bologna lasted a combined six hours. He beat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs — from seven match points down — in three hours and four minutes on Friday before outlasting Munar in two hours and 56 minutes.
Cobolli and Berrettini combined for a perfect 6-0 singles record this week. As such, the Italian doubles duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori never saw the court.
Jannik Sinner led Italy to victory in both 2023 and 2024 when the competition was held in Spain (Malaga), but the world No. 2 skipped the event this year.
nice one, Italy
Sinner was right, Italy could win it without their best player.
and I was right, as well!