Flavio Cobolli, start of finals to forget with Zverev
Complicated start for Flavio Cobolli in the Roland Garros final with Alexander Zverev winning the first set 6-1. The German was able to take advantage of the opportunities granted by the Italian, showing great solidity in the decisive moments despite a not particularly brilliant first serve percentage.
The start of the match had hinted at different scenarios. Cobolli, called immediately to serve, struggled in a very long and tension-filled opening game. After nullifying several break points thanks to courage and quality, however, the Roman missed some favorable opportunities, including a mishandled short ball that paved the way for Zverev’s break. A break that would prove very heavy in the economy of the set.
The German then consolidated the lead with authority, while Cobolli struggled to find continuity in his shots. There was no shortage of flashes of great tennis from the Azure, such as some valuable passes and a winning forehand at the crossroads that allowed him to win the first game of the match. However, free errors continued to weigh on his performance.
Zverev, while not expressing his best tennis on serve, was able to make a difference in the backcourt exchanges. Emblematic was the 3-1 point, when a forehand played almost instinctively ended at the cross of the lines, leaving audience and opponent speechless. The German progressively took control of the exchanges, while Cobolli failed to transform the few opportunities he conceded.
On 4-1 came a new break in favor of the German number one, mainly the result of the Italian’s errors. From that moment the set quickly slipped to a conclusion. Cobolli continued to struggle, but the balance of forehands became too heavy to sustain against an opponent of this level.
In the final game Zverev kept up the pressure and closed out the partial 6-1 thanks to a winning forehand crosscourt. It was a harsh result for Cobolli, who can recriminate for untaken chances in the key moments of the set. The Roman will now have to reset quickly and raise the level of his tennis if he wants to get back into the match. On the other side of the net, however, Zverev appears to be in full control and sees the most important goal of his career getting closer and closer.
Cobolli reached the final at Roland Garros as world number 14 and with the prospect, at Monday’s update, of entering the top 10. The Roman defeated, in order, Andrea Pellegrino 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3, Wu Yibing with a triple 6-4, Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2, 6-3, Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6(3)-7, 7-6(5) and Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, before overcoming Matteo Arnaldi in the semifinals due to the latter’s withdrawal from the tournament due to a stomach virus before even taking the court.
Zverev instead advanced to the final act at Roland Garros after beating Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, Tomas Machac 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, Jesper De Jong 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1, Rafael Jodar 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3 and Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. For the German, this is the second final in Paris, after the one reached in 2024 and lost 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to Carlos Alcaraz.
