ATP Tour

Cobolli’s candy shop! Chocolate fuels Italian’s Cincinnati QF turnaround vs. Paul

Flavio Cobolli dipped into the Cincinnati Open’s on-site candy stocks to help secure an ATP Masters 1000 milestone on Thursday afternoon.

The No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against home favourite Tommy Paul to advance to his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Ohio. Cobolli delivered a low-energy first-set performance that suggested he was feeling the effects of his battling three-set win against Rafael Jodar the previous day, but the Italian stepped up his level in style to earn a one-hour, 57-minute quarter-final triumph.

Cobolli had already worked his way back into the match when he requested a somewhat unusual courtside snack at 5-2 in the second set — a tub of M&M's. He went on to level the match soon after and then stayed focused in the decider even after he let slip four break points in the seventh game: Cobolli broke at his next opportunity for 5-4 before serving out to set a semi-final meeting with Arthur Fils or Thiago Agustin Tirante.

“I felt a little bit tired, and I needed some energy, some sugar, and I love M&M's,” Cobolli said. “Chocolate with colours makes me happy in the match.”

Cobolli won just 46 per cent (6/13) of points behind his first serve in the first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but he upped that to 65 per cent (13/20) in the second set. In the decider, he won all 12 points in which he landed his first delivery, a reflection of the dramatic upturn in his level.

“The change was not easy,” Cobolli said, when asked how he had regrouped after a tough first set. “Every match is different, every set is different, and I’m really proud of myself about how [I managed] today. I’m proud of my game and my mentality, and also my team, that is always important all my life.”

The three-time ATP Tour titlist Cobolli now leads Paul 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with both of those wins having come in Cincinnati. The 24-year-old will now prepare for his first semi-final since his run to the Roland Garros championship match in June. He is just the second Italian man to reach the last four in in Cincinnati after Jannik Sinner in 2024 and 2025.

With victory against Paul, Cobolli also ensured he will on Monday rise to a new career high in the PIF ATP Rankings: He is currently up four spots to No. 6 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.