Hopman Cup: Italy reaches the final: Bari is a world-class city.

The Puglia crowd was waiting for nothing else. To cheer on the victories of an Italy team that now plays every competition with the utmost ambition. First, the victory against Croatia, then yesterday's repeat, which earned them a spot in the Hopman Cup final. This afternoon, starting at 5:15 pm, they'll be playing on the center court of the facility built at Fiera del Levante. Even against France, there's no need to play doubles. Cobolli and Bronzetti do it all in a fantastic atmosphere; the people of Puglia are a classic spectacle... within a spectacle. Pure passion.

Flavio, fresh off his career in the world's top 20 (19th to be precise), wins an entertaining match. He's good, very good. He now plays all court, like a classic modern tennis player. But Gasquet is a feast for the eyes. Practically a "retirement" after his farewell on center court at Roland Garros. But he's capable of some incredible play, and not just with his famous one-handed backhand. Especially in a second set where the Frenchman plays on par and even earns a dangerous break point at 4-4. Backhand shots and delightful drop shots—it's always a shame when a player like him retires. Also applauding are Fabio Fognini (the crowd gave him a standing ovation) and Flavia Pennetta, in Puglia for a few days' vacation after the thirty-eight-year-old Ligurian retired from competitive tennis. Italy confirms its "queen." Awaiting its first triumph in the "Hopman Cup."

"We hope we can give these fans another great victory. We came here to bring home the best we could, not to play an exhibition," Cobolli said after the match. "I was thrilled because I had a tennis legend like Gasquet in front of me, a great player even today who decided to give up. And then seeing Fognini is an immense emotion. He's always been my idol, and if I'm a tennis player, it's really thanks to him," said the Italian number 3. Lucia Bronzetti seems destined for a worry-free victory. Paquet was coming off a clear defeat against Vekic (6-3, 6-3 the final score) and everyone was pegging the Italian as the big favorite in the match. A complicated start, almost a wake-up call. The Frenchwoman immediately broke (2-0), although Bronsetti then did well to turn things around, going up 4-2. She managed the set well towards the end, closing out the tenth game, but overall she was in complete control. A path that seems clear, Lucia climbs to 5-3 and creates two match points on her opponent's serve. Evidently played poorly. The Italian's performance when serving for the match is equally abysmal. There's no fluidity in her game from the baseline. And the error rate remains extremely high. A new potential turning point in the tie-break, a three-point lead (5-2). But the lights go out again, dramatically. And then they venture into the deciding set. The same uncertainties, the same balance. Bronzetti makes the final push (10-8) and then lets herself be "embraced" by a crowd that gives her a huge ovation. A well-deserved one, despite everything.

At the end of the match, Bronzetti didn't hide the difficulties of a match that was at times unpredictable: "I didn't play my best tennis, I think that showed. Too many errors, especially in key moments. After missing match points, everything got incredibly difficult. My arm was shaking, and I felt the tension of a match I really cared about. But I did well to cling to the match with all my might. I knew how to endure, and at the right moment, I managed to bring home the result. I'm also happy for this wonderful Apulian crowd."

THE OTHER CHALLENGE: A first defeat for Spain, victorious in their opening match against Greece, and a successful debut for Canada, who now have legitimate hopes of qualifying for tomorrow afternoon's final (starting at 5:30 pm with the women's singles). Andreescu easily defeated Bassols Ribera (6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour), while Auger Aliassime managed to get the better of the experienced and solid Bautista Agut, who defeated Tsitsipas on Thursday.