By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Photo credit: SI Robi/Wikimedia Commons
Raphael Collignon staged a captivating comeback and Zizou Bergs played committed closer lifting Belgium back into the Davis Cup semifinals.
World No. 43 Bergs saved two set points in the second set fending off Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 7-6(4) clinching Belgium’s 2-0 victory over France in today’s Davis Cup quarterfinal clash in Bologna.
“It’s just a few points [difference], but I’m very proud of what I did and what Raphael did in the match before me,” Bergs said. “It’s just something you can’t describe, the sensations before the competition, it’s just different.
“I have the team and the fans giving me the support all of us together and it’s working out for me… If I don’t win it okay we’re just gonna get another chance [in doubles]. I’m really proud of us.”
Exuding pride and precision Collignon played Davis Cup hero again rallying from a set down to defeat Corentin Moutet 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a thrilling opening match. Bergs followed with the victory over Rinderknech giving Belgium an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three-match quarterfinal.
Collignon, who swept both singles matches in Belgium’s qualifying win over Australia in September, again showed tremendous poise under pressure today.
The left-handed Moutet, who seldom met a trick shot opportunity he didn’t take, will rue his nutty shot selection serving at 5-6 to force a second-set tiebreaker. Moutet, who had a vast expanse of open court, needed to just put the ball over the net at 15-all to win the point. Instead, Moutet badly bungled a tweener attempt, fell into a 15-30 hole. A calm Collignon took that lifeline and broke at 30 to force the final set.
“I think I was maybe a bit lucky that he chose to do this tweener at 6-5 because it was tough for me,” Collignon said. “I was not playing so good. He was dominating the match.”
In the decider, Collignon won 24 of 25 service points, stamping five love holds, including a shutout hold for 6-5 to shift pressure back onto the left-hander’s shoulders.
Serving down match point, Moutet tightened up again and double-faulted into net as Belgium took a 1-0 lead.
“When I saw his toss, because he put the ball like very on the left, and I was thinking maybe this one is in the net,” Collignon said. “When he did the double-fault on match point, I was so tight. I wanted to say him thank you very much.”
Now, Belgium moves into Friday’s semifinals where it will face either two-time defending champion Italy or Austria for a spot in Sunday’s final.
Bergs served for the match at 5-4, but sent a forehand long as Rinderknech broke back to level.
Serving at 5-6, Bergs saved the first set point when the Frenchman netted a return then denied another set point when Rinderknech netted a rally forehand.
A slick Bergs backhand pass gave him the mini break and a 3-2 tiebreaker lead. Bergs spun a forehand approach down the line extending to 5-2. Rinderknech, who tightened up a bit on the forehand, netted a forehand to gift the Belgian match points.
On his second match point, Bergs danced around the backhand and fired a forehand winner down the line to end it.
