BOLOGNA, Italy — Two-time defending champion Italy saved seven match points in a dramatic semifinal to beat Belgium’s Zizou Berges 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (15) on Friday to reach the Davis Cup final.
After wasting several match points, Coboli took off his jersey to celebrate with his teammates. He eventually went to comfort Burgess, who was comforted by the team as he cried in his chair.
Coboli gave Italy a 2-0 lead without the need for a doubles match.
Italy are on a 13-game winning streak and will face the winner of Saturday’s semi-final between Germany and Spain, a match in which first-choice goalkeeper Carlos Alcaraz is uninjured.
Previously, Berrettini defeated Rafael Collignon 6-3, 6-4 to help the Italian team advance.
Neither Belgian has ever won a singles title on the men’s tour. But the 43rd-ranked Bergès played like it was the most important game of his life against the 22nd-ranked Coboli, who had the support of the crowd in Bologna.
In the second set tiebreaker, starting at 3-3, Bergers found his range and tied the score with a forehand from the backcourt, which Coboli hit back long.
The players then swapped positions and missed the match point opportunity. Coboli finally won with a serve, and Bergers could only pick up the racket.
It was an easier match for Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up with 10 singles titles on tour.
He won the first set against No. 86 Collignon.
Collignon lost his first serve in the second set, but he successfully broke serve to tie the score at 2-2. Berrettini withstood an aggressive shot to break at 4-3 and win his first match point with a love save.
The Davis Cup final eight is the sixth edition of the revamped tournament, with the champion decided at a neutral venue.
