Italy won their third consecutive Davis Cup against Spain on Sunday. Image credit: MSN
(The Post News)- Italy made history on Sunday. They won their third Davis Cup title in a row, defeating Spain 2-0. This victory happened in front of an electric home crowd in Bologna. Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered the decisive singles victories. Their wins handed Italy their fourth Davis Cup championship overall. This adds to triumphs in 1976, 2023, and 2024. No nation has managed three consecutive titles since the old Challenge Round format ended in 1971.
Both teams arrived without their biggest stars. Spain was missing Carlos Alcaraz. Italy had to do without Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti. However, Berrettini and Cobolli rose to the occasion when it mattered most.
Italian captain Filippo Volandri was overwhelmed with emotion, saying, “It’s the third consecutive one. I’m crying. This is a big, big team… even the ones who are not here: Sinner, Musetti, Arnaldi.”
Men’s Tennis players celebrate after their win against Spain. Image credit: BBC
Berrettini Sets the Tone
In the opening rubber, Berrettini powered past Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4. Several early service games were close. Then, Berrettini grabbed a late break. He took the first set in just over half an hour. He repeated the formula in the second set, breaking for 5-4 before serving out the match to love.
The player is ranked 56th in the world. The 29-year-old fired 13 aces and 21 winners. He extended his incredible Davis Cup singles streak to 11 straight wins. Berrettini is essential to Italy’s success. He won all six matches he played in last year’s campaign.
Cobolli Completes a Comeback for the Ages
The second match was a rollercoaster. Jaume Munar came out flying, racing to a 5-0 lead and securing the first set 6-1 with relentless baseline pressure. When Cobolli was broken again to start the second set, the situation looked bleak for the 23-year-old Italian.
Cobolli refused to give in. Reports from the BBC stated that he fought his way through. The second set was draining and lasted a full 90 minutes. After missing several chances, he finally took it in a tense tiebreak on his seventh set point. With confidence now behind him, Cobolli kept pressing in the final set. At 6-5, he broke Munar’s serve. He then held his nerve to finish the match. This completed a remarkable comeback with a 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory.
“It’s impossible to describe this feeling,” Cobolli said afterward. “I dreamed so much about this night. The only thing I know is that I’m a world champion.”
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