Add the Gazzetta del Sud as a source
Super Cobolli places the tricolor in the Roland Garros final. It’s written as France but reads as Italy! The Transalpine Slam, once again, is consecrating the Italian tennis players. And to say that bad luck (Musetti out, Sinner’s sudden block and Darderi’s knockout) had removed the best terraioli of our house from circulation, leaving the task to a trio – so to speak – as a backup. So to speak, precisely, because the trio of blue musketeers proposed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in 2026 are Cobolli – fixed in the Top 20, but now destined for the Top 10 – the returning – in all his splendor – Berrettini and Arnaldi, another who when he sees the red sand charges like the bulls. However, until a few days ago, no one would have imagined what, thanks to Cobolli’s well-deserved comeback success over Canadian Auger-Aliassime, has come to fruition: Italy will have a finalist at Roland Garros for the second year in a row. And this is because the semi-final won by the Capitoline tennis player will be played against the winner of the derby scheduled for tonight: Berrettini-Arnaldi. A golden age of our tennis, which does not take a break even in Nadal’s reign. Not even without the three strongest blue terraioli.
The match won by Cobolli
In the first set Cobolli starts very strong and begins with a break, but the Canadian returns it immediately and the match returns to balance. At the last corner of the set, Auger-Alissime takes advantage of a couple of indecisions from the blue and lands the knockout blow (6-4). In the second set, the balance seems to lean clearly towards Canada (Auger 3-1 and serve) but at that point the Roman tennis player starts rowing and hitting as only he can do and the set surprisingly goes downhill until 6-4 which is worth 1-1.
The inertia of the third set seems to lean towards Canada but the Italian athlete fights like a lion: three break points canceled in the fourth game and the game taken home (2-2). Then the set continues on the edge of balance, until the seventh game, when Cobolli breaks his opponent’s serve again and takes it to 4-3, strenuously defending the next turn of serve (three counterbreak balls cancelled). Then Auger-Aliassime defends the serve but can do nothing when it comes to returning and Cobolli closes 6-4 and takes the lead at 2-1!
In the fourth and potentially decisive set, after a substantial balance (2-2), this time Cobolli places the break paw at the first useful opportunity taking it to 3-2 and serve. Then, Auger resists as long as he can, always holding serve, but Cobolli does the same, closing 3-1 and opening the doors for an all-blue semi-final derby, with the certainty given to Italy of being present on Sunday, in the final.