ATP Tour

Cobolli saves match point to deny Fonseca in Halle thriller

Flavio Cobolli thwarted Joao Fonseca’s hopes of notching his first tour-level win on grass in dramatic fashion Tuesday at the Terra Wortmann Open.

The Italian saved a match point in a tense deciding-set tie-break before completing a 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(8) triumph in the Halle first round. Cobolli was on the brink of an early exit at the German ATP 500 at 5/6 down to #NextGenATP star Fonseca, but the Italian held firm on serve before converting his own third match point to seal a two-hour, 44-minute win.

"POINT of the match" 🤯@cobollifla saves match point to fire past Fonseca 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(8)@ATPHalle | #ATPHalle pic.twitter.com/fd4945pFKk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 17, 2025

“It’s never easy to start a tournament with Joao, but I think I did well and played some of my best tennis ever on this surface,” said Cobolli. “I don’t like the grass so much but today I think I played really well on my side. I served very well and hit the ball hard… Joao is young and going up, but he’s already one of the best on the Tour. I’m really happy.”

Perhaps the crucial moment of Cobolli and Fonseca’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash came at 8/8 in the deciding tie-break. Fonseca moved forward to try and put away a volley, but he lost his footing on the OWL Arena turf to hand Cobolli a decisive mini break.

Cobolli had raised his level at key moments even prior to the tie-break. He saved eight out of nine break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, including four crucially in the deciding set.

Having won his first ATP 500 crown on the Hamburg clay last month, Cobolli is now on a six-match winning streak on German soil. The 23-year-old, who is competing at a career-high No. 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will aim to make that seven in his second-round match in Halle against Denis Shapovalov, who sank former champion and sixth seed Ugo Humbert 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4).

After falling in the Halle opening round for the second straight year, World No. 57 Fonseca remains without a tour-level win on grass. Yet the 18-year-old, whose rise has lit up the ATP Tour in 2025, can take plenty of positives from what was just his second ATP Tour match on the surface. The #NextGenATP star is this year set to make his main-draw debut at Wimbledon, having last year lost in the first round of qualifying.