The Italian team Secures Record Third Straight Davis Cup Championship
Flavio Cobolli clinched one of the longest deciding set in Davis Cup history to overcome Belgium's Zizou Bergs during the semi-finals
Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini propelled the Italian squad to Davis Cup success as the hosts defeated the Spanish team to claim a record-breaking third consecutive championship in front of an ecstatic home crowd
48 hours following he narrowly won a marathon lengthy tie-break, Cobolli once again starred as he recovered from a set and a break down to beat his Spanish opponent in a grueling match
The 23-year-old's tenacious comeback victory success clinched a straight sets win for his country in Bologna after his teammate had triumphed in straight sets against the Spanish player
It is a fourth overall Davis Cup victory in total for the Italian team, who are the first nation to win three consecutive titles since defending champions no longer received automatic qualification to the final over five decades back
Home Crowd Inspires Team Italy Victory
Supported enthusiastically by the vast majority of a packed capacity crowd, the Italian star overcame a poor beginning to spark scenes of celebration among the Italian players, coaches and supporters
The champion was mobbed by his team-mates on the playing surface but took a moment to praise Munar on his efforts before returning to the festivities
Key Players Step Up in Missing Stars
Each the Italian squad and the Spanish team made the championship match even with missing key players, with the non-participation of top-ranked players denying fans a seventh matchup of the season between the top-ranked tennis stars
But, with Italian number two another key player also missing, the Italian duo owned their opportunities in the limelight with perfect records from three singles matches apiece this week
Dramatic Recovery Secures Victory
The audience chanted Cobolli's moniker as he maintained his composure to serve out his comeback triumph to zero, having achieved the breakthrough in the penultimate game of a nail-biting final set
That was quite an accomplishment, given he had admitted he had realized a "goal" in delivering his nation to the final on home soil
In contrast to the events of Friday night, when the athlete tore off his jersey in celebration on "among the greatest" moments of his career, the world number 22 faced the price for a poor beginning as he conceded a one-sided opening set
But the determined player initiated a essential, swift comeback after falling a behind at the beginning of the following set
Cobolli's fortunes appeared to shift after a brief pause in play when a member of the crowd became ill
When the match continued, and with Munar down break point, the player lobbed over a volley that caught a lucky net cord and brought the game back on level terms
Even though annoyingly prevented multiple opportunities on his rival's serve, the champion wrested control of a must-win breaker to force the final set - where he yet again performed
Berrettini Continues Impressive Run
Berrettini had previously extended his Davis Cup singles victory run to eleven consecutive wins with an excellent performance against Carreno Busta
The former Wimbledon runner-up used his decisive opportunity for a advantage before assuredly serving out the opener to zero
Having won the majority of points to secure the opening set, Berrettini appeared ready to strengthen his grip on the match upon forcing opportunities in the opening game of the following set
Carreno Busta managed to survive each before producing a series of strong service games - but the Italian took his next opportunity and served out to zero to complete his triumph