Against Spain, as against Australia and Belgium, the Italian pair waited for a “decider” that never happened. But they celebrated anyway: “Being there gives them confidence and they give us confidence, that’s the most important thing.”

After the last forehand acceleration, Flavio realizes he has done it. Filippo runs towards him, Matteo climbs over the boards surrounding the bench and goes to hug him. Simone and Andrea return to the arena from the locker room. Italy won 2-0 with the singles players, so there was no need for them. With Spain, as against Austria and Belgium. In Bologna, Bolelli and Vavassori lived in constant anticipation of having to play a “decider” that never materialized. The final, above all, was an emotional roller coaster. There was a long and stressful wait before everyone could lift the Salad Bowl together. After Berrettini won the first point, Cobolli’s match took a turn for the worse. Munar seemed furious, while Flavio was subdued. Even his father Stefano had lost faith. Bolelli and Vavassori, nominated by captain Volandri for the possible decisive match, went to warm up at one point, mentally reviewing their game plans and tuning into the competitive atmosphere. Was it all in vain? No, because everything makes sense in the chemistry of the Davis Cup.

Bolelli and Vavassori formed a very close-knit tandem: born in the summer of 2023 and capable of reaching three Slam finals (Australian Open 2024 and 2025, Roland Garros 2024), win seven ATP titles, and qualify for the ATP Finals for the second time in a row, reaching the semifinals a few days ago in Turin and finishing the year in the top ten of the world rankings. Vavassori was at home in Turin: he always returns to Ct Pinerolo to train, where his father Davide, his coach, his mother Dorina, and his sister Sara work. Bolelli, on the other hand, is a true Bolognese and grew up playing tennis at the Villanova Country Club, not far from the Fiera that hosted the Davis Cup. He was keen to be a protagonist. They both were, partly because Andrea and Simone, despite having enjoyed much success on the circuit, have yet to make their mark with the national team as a pair. A small aside: Bolelli, 40, can boast a more extensive history, with 46 matches played between singles and doubles (24 wins, 22 losses) since 2007. The Bolelli/Vavassori duo, on the other hand, has played just three Davis Cup matches, with two defeats and a single victory, albeit a valuable one: the 2-1 win over Belgium in the 2024 round robin, which was decisive for advancing from the group stage. And we must also add to the tally their elimination in the first round, as the number 1 seeds, at the Paris Olympics.

ON THE BENCH—Bolelli and Vavassori never took to the court in the two final stages led by Sinner in Malaga. In 2023, Jannik played alongside Sonego in the decisive doubles matches against the Netherlands and Serbia, and last year he paired up with Berrettini to defeat Argentina in the quarterfinals. And they didn’t do it in Bologna either. Unlike the Spaniards Granollers and Martinez, who were instrumental in overcoming the Czech Republic and Germany, the Azzurri were stuck in the pits waiting for their turn to finally come. “We were ready to play, but the guys were fantastic, and Flavio made an incredible comeback,” Bolelli said after the award ceremony. “We knew we had to be ready and pumped up. Being there gives them confidence and they give us confidence, that’s the most important thing. I don’t mind if my teammates win and I don’t play, that’s fine,” said Vavassori, adding: “We said it even before playing the quarterfinal match: whoever came on would give their all. We’ve grown together, we have a very strong team spirit. When you have such a united team, individual aspirations take a back seat.”