Flavio Cobolli gets strong start in Paris, Tomas Machac still knocked out

Number three from the Czech Republic, Tomas Machac will appear in Bologna in all likelihood in the role of third singles player – or, if you prefer, first reserve. A position to which Flavio Cobolli now seems determined to rebel, buoyed by his excellent performances in recent weeks: first in Vienna, then at the Rolex Masters in Paris, where he confirmed his moment of growth.

Just seven days after their confrontation in the Austrian capital, Cobolli dismissed Machac with authority, imposing himself 6-1, 6-4 in less than an hour of play. A perfect calling card ahead of the last appointment of the season, now just around the corner.

The first set was a veritable spectacle: twenty minutes of scintillating tennis, during which the Czech could only watch amid applause and disbelief as the world number 22 learned his lesson. Cobolli dominated with winning shots from the baseline, a refined touch at the net, great stamina in the exchanges and speed in his moves, combined with the courage to always look for the lines to close out the point.

In the second set Machac tried to fight back, earning some applause from the Parisian audience for the tenacity he showed. But the Italian conceded no space: solid, focused and precise, he lost just two points with his first serve and placed the decisive extension just when his opponent seemed to run out of answers.