Davis Cup Quarterfinals: Belgium Advances
In an impressive display, Zizou Bergs secured victory for Belgium, defeating Arthur Rinderknech with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Tuesday. This victory ensured Belgium advanced to the semifinals of the Davis Cup with a commanding 2-0 lead against the historically successful French team, who have won the championship title ten times.
This marks a significant moment for Belgium, as they had previously suffered defeats in their last four confrontations with France, including a loss in the 2017 finals.
Upcoming Matches
Belgium’s journey will continue as they prepare to face either the top-seeded team from Italy or Austria in the next round, scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, two remaining quarterfinal ties will be taking place on Thursday, featuring Germany, who are seeded second, going up against Argentina, and Spain confronting the fourth-seeded Czech Republic.
Match Highlights
Bergs displayed dominance throughout his match, clinching the final point with an outstanding forehand winner along the sideline. Earlier in the day, Raphael Collignon had propelled Belgium to an initial lead by overcoming Corentin Moutet in a tense match that concluded 2-6, 7-5, 7-5. Both singles matches in the tie are part of a best-of-three format, which also includes one doubles match.
Both Belgium and France reached this advanced stage of the competition after the structure was revamped in 2019. This edition of the Davis Cup Final 8 is notable as the sixth where the champion will be determined at a neutral venue in Bologna.
Moutet started strong but faltered at critical moments, notably during the 12th game of the second set, where he made two double faults just before losing his serve, allowing Collignon to push the match to a deciding third set. The crucial break for Collignon occurred in the final game, sealing the victory.
“It was a crazy match,”
Meanwhile, Spain’s efforts were hampered by the absence of top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz, who had to withdraw earlier on Tuesday due to a hamstring injury, leaving the team to navigate the tournament without their star athlete.
