Flavio Cobolli came from a set down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the Roland-Garros quarterfinals on Wednesday, sending the 10th seed into his first Grand Slam semifinal and guaranteeing an Italian finalist in Paris.
The win at Court Philippe-Chatrier also completed Cobolli's third victory in three meetings with the No.4 seed and delivered his top-10 debut, a breakthrough that changed the tournament in a single afternoon. Cobolli had wobbled in the previous round against Zach Svajda, but against Auger-Aliassime he found a way through a match that began in blustery conditions and finished beneath the roof as light rain drizzled outside.
Cobolli said the conditions made the first set feel like a different contest. “I think we played two different matches today,” he said. “The first set was incredibly windy, and it was really tough to play.” He then went off to the toilet to think through a change, returned with a clearer plan and played with enough control to turn the match around.
That adjustment mattered because Auger-Aliassime had opened the match strongly and led 3-1 in the second set before Cobolli reeled off five of the next six games to level it. In the third, Cobolli scrambled through a point by diving for a drop shot and, a game later at 3-4, broke serve again to seize the control he never gave back.
The Canadian had said this week he wanted to lift the trophy at the end of the fortnight, but the quarterfinal ended that run instead. Cobolli, meanwhile, said he kept telling himself this was the chance of his life, and the 23-year-old played like it when it mattered most. “I have to give everything in my matches, and today I did it, so I’m really happy,” he said.
The bigger picture now turns to the all-Italian path still unfolding in Paris. Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi were due to meet for the right to face Cobolli in the semifinals, keeping alive the prospect of an all-Italian showdown and leaving the draw with one more round of home pressure to absorb.
