Historic three-peat for Italy! Cobolli triumphs to confirm Italy as Davis Cup champions

Italy are the Davis Cup champions. After Matteo Berrettini defeated Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets, Flavio Cobolli got the job done in a gritty match against Jaume Munar. He came back from a set deficit to win 1-6. 7-6(5), 7-5.

It is the first time since 1972 when a country has triumphed in the event three times in a row. Italy looked imperious all week, not needing to count on their doubles pairing of Simone Bolelli or Andrea Vavassori. They came into the event without their two top players Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti. That did not matter, with Berrettini and Cobolli excelling in front of a home crowd in Bologna. Berrettini had not dropped a set all week, and that continued in his victory against Carreno Busta. The pressure was then firmly on the shoulders of 23-year-old Cobolli to take Italy to glory, and he kept his composure late on to complete a historic trio for his country in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

Despite being ranked 22 places lower than his Italian opponent. Munar was utterly dominant in the opening stages of the match. He dropped just three points in the opening four games, where he broke the Cobolli serve twice. In the next game, Cobolli squandered five chances to nick one of the breaks back but could not take any of them. He eventually got a first game on the board but was powerless in stopping a rampant Munar from holding to love to clinch the first set. He was playing some fantastic tennis, embracing the spirit of the Davis Cup as he looked to keep his nation in the final.

Early into the second set, a delay was implemented after a fan in the stands was taken unwell. There was commotion amongst the fans as Cobolli was looking to break back into the match. The players traversed back to their seats for around 10 minutes as the situation was dealt with.

Cobolli broke instantly back after play continued, before a number of holds led to a very nervy set of points. When 6-5 up, the Italian managed to muster up four set points. However, Munar's big and clutch serving kept him in it, forcing a tiebreak. However, he would not rue the spurned set points in the previous game as to the delight of the partizan home crowd, he took the tiebreaker to go one set away from another Davis Cup title for Italy.

It would be a nerve-wracking set, with so much on the line. Both players kept their cool in the early stages as they barraged each other with a clinical display of serving. It continued like that right until 5-5, when Cobolli found the game at the right time to edge away from Munar. He created himself two break points, taking the second to go one game from triumph. He then held to love to secure another Davis Cup crown for their country.

The players ran onto the court to celebrate with Cobolli, who stood in disbelief with what he and his team had just achieved starting to sink in. While the crowd erupted into song, the Italians celebrated yet another title. Disappointment for Spain, who in turn were without Carlos Alcaraz. It was their first final since 2019, but unlike in Madrid they leave empty-handed.