Cobolli sends defending two-time champion Italy into Davis Cup final

BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — Two-time defending champion Italy reached the Davis Cup final after Flavio Cobolli beat Zizou Bergs of Belgium 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (15) after saving seven match points in a dramatic semifinal on Friday.

After wasting six match points of his own, Cobolli finally got Italy over the line. He ripped off his shirt and celebrated with his teammates and eventually went to comfort Bergs, who was consoled by his team as he cried on his chair.

The 17-15 final set tiebreak was the sixth longest in Davis Cup history.

“We fought for our country, for this win, but in the end I realized my dream,” Cobolli said. “I played for all of my team, my family, and it's one of the best days of my life.”

Cobolli gave Italy an unassailable 2-0 lead without needing the doubles contest.

Italy is riding a 13-tie winning streak and meets the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between Germany and Spain, which is without injured No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Earlier, Matteo Berrettini beat Raphael Collignon 6-3, 6-4 to help Italy on its way.

Neither Belgian has won a singles title on the men’s tour. But the No. 43-ranked Bergs played like it was the biggest match of his life against No. 22 Cobolli, who had the crowd behind him in Bologna.

From 3-3 in the second set tiebreaker Bergs found his range and leveled the match with a forehand to the back of the court which Cobolli returned long.

The players then swapped and missed match point chances, with Cobolli eventually triumphing with a service winner that Bergs could only just get his racket on.

Cobolli jumped into the arms of team captain Filippo Volandri, who somehow managed to look calm throughout the rollercoaster tiebreaker.

“In my five years as a captain I've never seen anything like that. But this is what Davis Cup does, it was incredible,” Volandri said. "At the end, I told (Cobolli) it's 5% tactics and 95% heart.”

It was a more comfortable match for Berrettini, a 2021 Wimbledon runner-up with 10 singles titles on the tour.

He clinched the first set on serve against No. 86 Collignon.

Collignon dropped his opening serve of the second set but he broke back for 2-2. Berrettini withstood aggressive shot-making to break for 4-3 and won on his first match point with a love hold.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Italy's Flavio Cobolli celebrates after winning a point to Belgium's Zizou Bergs during a Davis Cup singles semifinal match between Italy and Belgium, in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Belgium's Zizou Bergs reacts after losing against Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a Davis Cup singles semifinal match between Italy and Belgium, in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Italy's Matteo Berrettini celebrates after winning a Davis Cup semifinal singles tennis match between Italy and Belgium against Belgium's Raphael Collignon in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Italy's Flavio Cobolli celebrates after winning against Belgium's Zizou Bergs during a Davis Cup singles semifinal match between Italy and Belgium, in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Belgium's Raphael Collignon returns a ball to Italy's Matteo Berrettini during a Davis Cup semifinal singles tennis match between Italy and Belgium, in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Italy's Matteo Berrettini reacts after winning a point to Belgium's Raphael Collignon during a Davis Cup semifinal singles tennis match between Italy and Belgium, in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Italy's Matteo Berrettini celebrates after winning a Davis Cup semifinal singles tennis match between Italy and Belgium against Belgium's Raphael Collignon in Bologna, Italy, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)