Cobolli sinks Auger Aliassime to book ‘derby’ French Open semi

Flavio Cobolli came back from a set down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. By eliminating the Canadian fourth seed, Cobolli has ensured that there will be an Italian man in the final come Sunday. At the start of the tournament, that eventuality seemed almost a given with top seed Jannik Sinner on a scintillating clay-court run.

However, the world number one stunningly lost in the second round and blew the top half of the draw wide open. Three of his compatriots have more than taken advantage of that opening, with Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi battling it out in the night session in the other top-bracket quarter-final. Arnaldi, the winner of that match after Berrettini retired, will meet 10th seed Cobolli in the last four on Friday, after the 24-year-old overpowered world number six Auger-Aliassime.

It will be the first all-Italian Grand Slam men’s semi-final in history. “For sure it will be another derby, but I think we have to be happy for Italian tennis,” Cobolli told reporters.