ATP Tour

Cobolli ends Jodar's Cincinnati charge, powers into QFs

Flavio Cobolli refused to be denied Wednesday at the Cincinnati Open, where he overcame a slow start to battle past the red-hot Rafael Jodar 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event.

In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Jodar, Cobolli showcased his resilience and growing big-match pedigree as he gradually found his range to turn the match in his favour. The 24-year-old Italian, who reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros in June, recovered from striking 42 unforced errors across the opening two sets before raising his level decisively in the third to complete his two-hour, 30-minute comeback.

“I just [told] myself to believe, to fight in every point, and I knew I would get a chance,” Cobolli said in his on-court interview. “Rafa, I think he played an incredible season, an incredible week, so I think he felt a little tired at the beginning of the second. Still, I think the level was really high and in the third set, I pushed [myself] to the limit.”

Jodar entered the clash with the third-most tour-level wins in 2026 and was bidding to reach his eighth quarter-final in his past nine events. The 19-year-old made a strong start, but Cobolli's persistence eventually wore him down as the Italian took control in the deciding set.

The victory marks Cobolli’s third consecutive three-set win in Cincinnati, where he is now into the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 event for the second time in his career. He will next face home hope Tommy Paul, who saved a match point to upset top seed and former champion Alexander Zverev.

Cobolli is up to fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is firmly in contention to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The Italian has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026, highlighted by his run to the Roland Garros final, where he fell to Zverev, his third ATP Tour title in Acapulco and a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon.

Despite the defeat, Jodar also remains in contention for a maiden appearance at the year-end championships in Turin. The 19-year-old, who is seventh in the Live Race, has compiled a 36-14 record in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and continues to enjoy a remarkable first season on the ATP Tour.