Italy Roars Into the Davis Cup Semis: Berrettini and Cobolli Spark the Victory
20 November 2025
Italy advances to the Davis Cup semi-finals for the fourth straight year
Italy booked a spot in the Davis Cup semi-finals for the fourth consecutive year on Wednesday, edging Austria as the home crowd roared and Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered the goods.
The atmosphere at the SuperTennis Arena in Bologna set the tone early, and the defending champions showed they are seasoned contenders.
Berrettini, formerly ranked as high as world number 6, put Italy 1-0 up by beating Yuri Rodionov 6-3, 7-6. The second set was briefly interrupted by a lighting issue, but the Italian fought back from a 2-5 deficit, saved three straight set points at 4-5, and closed out the tiebreak to swing the balance in his team’s favor.
Cobolli followed with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win over Filip Misolic in only his third Davis Cup appearance, extending Italy’s winning streak to 12 ties and setting up a semi-final against Belgium.
Berrettini and Cobolli’s performances, aided by a raucous home crowd, underscored a rising Italian force in the competition.
Belgium reach the other semi as quarterfinals unfold
In the other quarterfinals, Belgium also moved into the semi-finals by beating France 2-0 as the matches unfolded, bridging to a potential blockbuster Italy-Belgium semi-final.
Hall of Fame milestone: Federer joins tennis legends
Off the court, the tennis world paused to celebrate Roger Federer’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, joining Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Billie Jean King and Martina Hingis in Newport.
Federer will be officially inducted during the Hall of Fame weekend scheduled for August 27-29, 2026.
Becker spoke about how tennis rises to the next level when legends win fans outside the sport, and Edberg praised Federer’s extraordinary journey. King and Hingis also offered warm tributes, underscoring the Swiss great’s impact across generations.
All in all, the weekend blended the thrill of Davis Cup tennis with a celebration of the sport’s history, and Newport was ready to welcome its new hall-of-famer.
Punchline 1: If tennis were a pizza, Italy just ordered a whole extra-large, topped with Berrettini’s serve and Cobolli’s nerve.
Punchline 2: And if any doubt remained, the crowd reminded us that in Bologna even the court wants to shout bravo for a perfectly sliced forehand.
