Hopman Cup: Flavio Cobolli also wins in super tie-break, Italy beats Croatia
In a match that turned out to be much more difficult than expected Flavio Cobolli, world number 19, beat on a super tie-break with a score of 6-7 6-4 10-6 in two hours of play Duje Ajdukovic, number 177, bringing Italy to 2-0 against Croatia and giving the Azzurri victory in the first challenge of the Hopman Cup 2025 in Bari.
Three breaks in the first three games of the match and two were in favor of Ajdukovic who went to 3-1 and then 4-2 but Flavio caught up with him at 4-4. Cobolli has a set point at 5-4 and his opponent’s serve, misses it and ends up losing the tie-break sharply 7-1 by giving up seven points in a row.
No break point in the second set until the very long seventh game, in which it is Ajdukovic who nullifies one. Cobolli then snatches his serve at 4-4 and closes his set game at zero. The super tie-break goes on in tears: 5-1 for Cobolli, 5-5, and then from 6-6 four consecutive points by Flavio decide the match.
Unfortunately, Lucia Bronzetti and Cobolli lost their mixed doubles match against Donna Vekic and Ajdukovic 6-4 2-6 10-8 (a super tie-break again!) and this defeat, if it is irrelevant for the challenge won with Croatia, could be so for the match difference (or set, or game), which determines the landing in the finals in case of a tie between the teams, if Italy on Friday does not beat France.
