Italy overpowered Austria in the Davis Cup quarter-finals to move a step closer to becoming the first nation to win three consecutive titles for 53 years.
Straight-set singles wins for Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli earned victory for an Italian team which dominated despite missing the nation’s top two players in Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.
Italy move on to a semi-final meeting with Belgium on Friday, after their upcoming opponents beat France on the opening day of the Finals in Bologna.
They will begin that match on a 12-tie winning streak at the Davis Cup Finals, stretching back to the group stages of the 2023 tournament.
In the other half of the draw, Spain face the Czech Republic before Argentina plays Germany on Thursday.
‘Representing my nation is so special’
Davis Cup organisers confirmed to BBC Sport this week that talks will take place about the tournament’s future format amid the absence of several top players at this year’s event.
That includes Italian top-10 players Sinner and Musetti, with world number two Sinner opting to maximise his recovery during the sport’s brief six-week off-season after triumphing at the ATP Finals on Sunday.
But, in their place, Berrettini and Cobolli shone for their nation.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini got Italy off to a positive start by defeating the 177th-ranked Jurij Rodionov 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Berrettini, the world number 56, took the opening set with a single break of serve, but faced an uphill battle in the second when he was broken for the first time and fell 5-2 behind.
The 29-year-old responded admirably, withstanding three set points to level at 5-5 and maintaining that momentum to wrest control of the tie-break and avoid a decider.
“When I play for my country I just think about trying to win the next point, trying to fight really hard for my team-mates, for everybody who is here and everyone who is watching from home,” said Berrettini.
“That’s the biggest privilege. If I win it’s better, but I try to enjoy being out there every time. It is something so special.”
World number 22 Cobolli followed his compatriot with a commanding 6-1 6-3 victory over Austrian number one Filip Misolic.
The 23-year-old Cobolli, who impressed with a run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals this year, dominated a first set lasting just 30 minutes with three breaks of serve.
He tightened his grip on the match early in the second set, securing an early break as he moved into a 3-0 lead, before confidently serving his way to victory.
Cobolli echoed his team-mate’s sentiments in his post-match interview, saying: “We all want to win this cup and I felt the support of the bench, it was unbelievable.
“When I play for them, it is something which I cannot describe.”
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