BOLOGNA (ITALPRESS) – Italy is preparing to return to the Davis Cup. The national captain of Filippo Volandri will face on Friday (at 16.00) Belgium in the semifinal of the Final Eight of Bologna. Azzurri led by the convincing success to the debut with Austria, thanks to the victories in two sets of Flavio Cobolli (n.22 Atp), on Filip Misolic (n.79 Atp), and Matteo Berrettini (n.56 Atp), good at bending the resistance of an excellent Jurij Rodionov (n.177 Atp). In the respective quarter of the final, Belgium, led by Steve Darcis, surprised France, without even switching from the double decisive: 2-0 net, result of Zizou Bergs’ victories (n.43 Atp) and Raphael Collignon (n.86 Atp) on Arthur Rinderknech (n.29 Atp) and Corentin Moutet (n.35 Atp). If Italy, the defending champion, and the host country, has earned the right to participate directly in the Final Eight, the same cannot be said for Belgium, out of qualifying rounds. The Darcis team first set for 3–1 against Chile and then gave the biggest upset of the shootouts out of Australia by Alex de Minaur and Aleksandar Vukic.
In case of success of the blues, it would be the third consecutive final in Davis, after those won in 2023 (vs Australia) and in 2024 (vs Netherlands). Belgium hunting for the first salad bowl and a return to the final that has been missing for eight years (dis confiscated in 2017 against France). “We must face every obstacle exactly as the previous one, Belgium will be a new final for us. We know that Bergs has a great tennis player and Collignon when he plays Davis turns”, the words of Filippo Volandri, captain of Italy, in the press conference after the success on Austria in the quarterfinals. Friday will be the eleventh challenge between Italy and Belgium in the history of the Davis Cup with the blue ahead 6-4, thanks to the successes obtained in 1950, 1952, 1959, 1961, 1969 and 2024. In the 2024 edition, the two nations have always faced in Bologna during the Round Robin, which has guaranteed the team of Filippo Volandri access to the Final Eight then conquered in Malaga.
On that occasion were decisive Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori with the success on Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, after the victory of Berrettini on Blockx and the ko di Cobolli with Bergs. Unless of surprises or physical problems of the last moment, it will be again Cobolli-Bergs and, in case of 1-1, Bolelli/Vavassori-Gille/Vliegen. The opponent of Berrettini will be Collignon and not Blockx, as in 2024.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
