Flavio Cobolli produced one of the performances of his career on Thursday night, rallying from a set down to defeat Tommy Paul 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open and reach his first-ever Masters 1000 semifinal.
The Italian seventh seed was outplayed in the opening set, losing it 6-2 in just 27 minutes as Paul's serve proved virtually untouchable — the American lost just four points behind his delivery in the set. But Cobolli's trademark resilience, which has defined his breakout 2026 season, came to the fore as the match progressed.
A completely different player emerged for the second set. Cobolli broke Paul in the fourth game after forcing the American into a double fault, and while Paul threatened to claw back at 4-2, the Italian held firm with an ace and a service winner to escape trouble. Cobolli sealed the set 6-3 on his fourth set point after 43 minutes.
The decisive third set was a tense affair, with the balance of power shifting gradually toward Cobolli as Paul's early-match intensity faded. After surviving four break points in the eighth game at 3-3, Paul finally cracked at 4-4 — a wayward forehand handing Cobolli the crucial break. The Italian then served out the match to love, completing the comeback in approximately two hours.
The victory is a landmark moment for Cobolli, who had been the only player in the current top 25 without a Masters 1000 semifinal appearance. It is his fifth semifinal of 2026 and lifts him to a virtual world number six ranking, a new career high. In the semifinals on Saturday, he faces the winner of the quarterfinal between Thiago Agustín Tirante and Arthur Fils.
"I never give up," Cobolli wrote on the courtside camera after the match — and the numbers back it up. The 23-year-old has now won 12 of 14 matches that have gone to a deciding set this season, a remarkable record that underscores his mental fortitude on the biggest stages.
Sources
https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/08/21/atp-cincinnati-cobolli-non-molla-mai-rimonta-paul-e-conquista-la-prima-semifinale-masters-1000/ https://sport.sky.it/tennis/2026/08/20/cobolli-paul-atp-cincinnati-risultato
