Flavio Cobolli became a grand slam semi-finalist for the first time as the Italian 10th seed pulled off a stellar recovery from a set and a break down to defeat the fourth seed, Félix Auger-Aliassime, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the French Open quarter-finals.
It was Cobolli’s first win against a top 10 opponent at a grand slam tournament, and will catapult him into the top 10 in the world rankings unless Jakub Mensik wins the title. More importantly, this is an immense opportunity for the 24-year-old to compete for a major crown.
Cobolli’s victory also means there will be an all-Italian men’s grand slam semi-final for the first time in history in the very half that the top-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner had been heavily favoured to advance through en route to the title. The final last-four spot was determined in Wednesday’s night session, with Matteo Arnaldi progressing at the expense of his fellow unseeded Italian, Matteo Berrettini, who retired through injury in the second set of their quarter-final at 5-7, 2-5 down.
Cobolli is an incredibly talented player, one of the best athletes on tour armed with a destructive forehand and a well-rounded game. It was only a matter of time before he put everything together and made a significant grand slam run, and he has so far handled the pressure of being in the wide-open top half spectacularly well. While players around him have been embroiled in bruising five-set tussles, pushing their bodies to the limit, Cobolli has been efficient, conceding just two sets in his five matches and playing authoritative tennis in the decisive moments.
A potentially career-defining victory for Cobolli will go down as one of the most difficult defeats for Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian has been the highest-ranked player in the top half since Sinner’s second-round demise and in the absence of any of the top players who have stopped him during his previous grand slam runs, this was a huge chance. Despite still being just 25, Auger-Aliassime has been around for a long time but is still trying to take the next step and compete for majors.
Auger-Aliassime started well, serving brilliantly and dominating the baseline with his forehand as he established a 6-4, 3-1 lead. The match began with an open roof in the same brutally windy conditions that had felled Aryna Sabalenka hours earlier, but after the first set the roof was closed. Auger-Aliassime is one of the best players indoors and these conditions should have suited him, but one loose service game at 3-1 was enough to shift momentum in Cobolli’s favour.
From that early deficit, Cobolli neutralised the Canadian’s weapons, pinning him in his backhand corner, making plenty of returns and narrowing the court with his supreme defensive skills. As a result of his efforts, he stands one win away from a grand slam final.
