ATP Washington, super Cobolli. The Italian beats Shelton and reaches his first final

The Italian Flavio Cobolli and American Sebastian Korda emerged victorious in the semifinals after a day marked by rain and will meet this Sunday in the grand final of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, category 500 for ATP and WTA, in Washington. Cobolli, 22, won in three sets over the American Ben Shelton, 21, with partials of 4-6, 7-5 and 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours and four minutes, qualifying for the first ATP final of his career. . Korda, 24, beat compatriot Francis Tiafoe, 26, in a doubles final 6-4 and will seek his second ATP title in the eighth final of his career. It will be Korda’s first US hardcourt final since January 2021, when he lost 6-3 in doubles to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz at the Delray Beach Open. It is the second meeting between Cobolli and Korda on the ATP circuit. The only precedent dates back to this year’s Rome Masters 1000, which ended with the American’s victory 7-6(6), 4-6 and 6-4.