Flavio Cobolli dominates the Italian derby at the French Open and advances confidently to the second round. The 24-year-old Roman talent dethroned Andrea Pellegrino in an intense matchup, proving that his experience and focus in crucial moments make a difference on the biggest stage in world tennis. Cobolli won in straight sets, with the scores set at 6-4, 7-6, and 6-3, securing an essential victory for his journey in the Grand Slam tournament.
Anxiety and the weight of recent defeats in Rome and Hamburg were present before the clash, but Flavio remained focused and prepared to overcome the challenges. “Before the match, we had a meeting where we analyzed my mistakes in previous matches, where I lost to opponents ranked lower than me,” Cobolli revealed, acknowledging that the challenge would not be easy given Pellegrino’s tenacity.
The serve was the decisive weapon for the Florentine player, who attributed this improvement as the key to his success: “I am very satisfied with my serve today, and I have been working hard to improve it. I still have ups and downs, as I mentioned earlier, but we are trying to increase the good moments. Today, the serve helped me a lot in important moments and allowed me to play few points on my service games, which is fundamental in a best-of-five sets format.”
One of the new developments in Flavio’s journey is the integration of Alessandro Giannessi into his coaching team. “Alessandro joined the group at my request and will support me for a few weeks this year. Then, we will see what happens for the next season.” This addition promises to elevate the Italian’s game even further as he seeks to establish himself among the best.
For Cobolli, the French Open holds a special significance: “Paris is the most beautiful tournament for a tennis player, especially for Europeans. I was born on clay, so playing here is always a unique experience that moves me. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this with other players and I hope to enjoy it here for many years.” The young player, who has already won the ATP event in Acapulco, now aims to make history by reaching the fourth round for the first time at the iconic French tournament.
Regarding the use of technology in tennis, Flavio revealed that he is a defender of tradition on clay, even acknowledging the usefulness of Hawk-Eye during the season: “It is a great help to have Hawk-Eye, especially in grass and hard court tournaments, but on clay I prefer to stick to the classic method of going to check the mark. Tennis is an elegant sport; it was born this way, and I think it is beautiful to maintain this system for a few weeks.”
With this solid performance and champion mindset, Flavio Cobolli promises to be one of the figures to watch at this French Open. His next opponent will be the young Chinese player Wu Yibing, in a match that could pave the way for a memorable journey for the Italian at the most thrilling Grand Slam on the calendar.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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