Italy Cruise Past Austria, Storm Into Davis Cup Semi-Finals

Italy’s Davis Cup title defence remains firmly on track. Playing in front of a packed and energetic home crowd in Bologna, the Azzurri brushed aside Austria by winning both singles rubbers on Wednesday, sealing their place in the semi-finals against Belgium.

Despite missing two of their biggest stars — Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, both top-10 players who withdrew ahead of the tie — Italy showed remarkable depth and composure to dominate the quarter-final clash at the Super Tennis Arena.

Berrettini Leads From the Front

Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, a key figure in Italy’s title run last year, delivered a commanding performance to set the tone.

He defeated Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in one hour and 35 minutes, controlling the match despite a second-set wobble and an unexpected lighting interruption that caused a 30-minute delay.

Berrettini trailed 2-5 in the second set but stormed back with grit and precision, saving three set points and winning five of the next six games to clinch the tiebreak. It was a reminder of why, despite injuries in recent years, he remains one of Italy’s most dependable big-match players.

Cobolli Seals It in Style

World No. 22 Flavio Cobolli stepped up to finish the job, outclassing Austria’s top-ranked player Filip Misolic 6-1, 6-3 in a clinical, efficient display.
From the first ball, Cobolli imposed his rhythm and never allowed Misolic to settle, wrapping up the tie in under 90 minutes.

With both singles matches won, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori were not required to play the doubles rubber against Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler.

What’s Next in the Davis Cup?

Italy will now take on Belgium in the semi-finals, where the absence of Sinner and Musetti will again be a storyline — but Wednesday’s performance showed the squad’s strong bench strength.

The rest of the semi-final lineup will be decided on Thursday when:

• Argentina face Germany, and

• Spain take on the Czech Republic — but notably without World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew due to a hamstring injury.

Conclusion: Italy Still Look Like Contenders

Even without their frontline stars, Italy’s confidence, discipline, and home-crowd energy carried them past Austria with ease. Berrettini and Cobolli looked sharp and assured — exactly what the Azzurri need as they chase back-to-back Davis Cup titles.

Their next test against Belgium promises tension, drama and high-quality tennis, but for now, Italy march into the semi-finals looking every bit like genuine contenders once again.