This weekend, the French Open singles bracket will feature first-time Grand Slam champions for both men and women, and every draw sets up a tantalizing semi-final match-up despite a windy and at times rainy day at Roland Garros on Wednesday.
Flavio Cobolli put on a dominant performance in the final three sets of the match to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and reach the first major semi-final of his career. Coboli, who won 20 of the final 25 points on serve, won three straight sets against fourth-seeded Auger-Aliassime with 13 consecutive holds on serve after tournament officials closed the roof due to light rain.
Koboli, who won his first top-10 major, is now 4-18 against top-10 opponents, with all of his wins coming on clay, including against current tournament favorite Alexander Zverev. Cobolli will next face Matteo Arnaldi on Friday, who ousted Matteo Berrettini when the veteran retired in the second set.
It’s no coincidence that the 24-year-old Italian has risen to the top echelons of the sport despite having yet to win a major. What sets Kobori apart from many of his colleagues is his constant consistency from baseline. He absorbs pace very well and showed it against Auger-Aliassime at Court Philippe Chatrier, quickly turning defense into attack.
Cobolli’s movement is one of his greatest assets. Although Cobolli covers the court with ease, his patience and tolerance for shots often wears out even elite competitors, especially on clay courts. His forehand has developed into a legitimate weapon, and his two-handed backhand allows him to change the pace and control rallies from either wing.
Koboli advanced to the semi-finals and secured a spot in the ATP top 10 for the first time in his career.
“I felt like this was the chance of a lifetime,” Kobori said. “You have to give it your all in a match, and I was able to do that today, so I’m really happy.”
Zverev aims to reach fourth Grand Slam final
Second-seeded Alexander Zverev has played the least amount of time on court this tournament, winning every set he has played except one in the third round against Quentin Harris. Zverev quickly played Rafael Jodard on Tuesday, giving a great performance that showcased his entire repertoire.
Zverev’s next opponent will be Jakub Mencik, who is aiming for his first career Grand Slam, and after defeating hard-hitting Brazilian Joao Fonseca in straight sets in the quarter-finals, he insisted the teenage sensation would not be in the semi-finals. This was clearly the most impressive performance on clay so far this season and revealed that there is another legitimate threat to become the first French Open champion.
Before immediately running into trouble against Mensik, Fonseca had wins over Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud. Mensik responded to every drop shot with cross-court precision and also showed good play on serve.
For Mensik, this was the kind of inertia he needed before the long finals. Mensik won five sets in pairs at the tournament, overcoming a 6-0 loss to Alex de Minaur in the first set of the third round to win in four sets. During the match against de Minaur, Mensik suffered from cramps and dehydration.
He was just two wins away from etching his name into clay history.
Men’s semifinals (Friday)
- (2) Alexander Zverev vs. (26) Jakub Mensik
- (10) Flavio Cobolli vs. Matteo Arnaldi
Schneider stuns Sabalenka, Chwalinski wins
World number one Aryna Sabalenka made 57 unforced errors in the final set. A shocking 6-3, 5-7, 0-6 loss on Wednesday. She suffered a setback against Russia’s Diana Schneider in the quarterfinals for the second time in her last three trips to the Paris Grand Slam tournament. Sabalenka led 4-1 and the second set was decided at 5-3 with just two points left to advance.
It will be the first time in Schneider’s career that he has reached the semifinals of a major tournament, seeded No. 25.
“I think I had a very decent chance in the second set, I missed, but then she stepped in and played great,” Sabalenka said. “I feel like I didn’t really recover mentally after the second set. That was my biggest mistake. I fell into a very deep, dark hole mentally and couldn’t get back on track mentally.”
In the other quarterfinal match, unseeded Maja Chwalinska defeated world No. 22 Anna Kalinskaja 7-6, 6-3. She will next face Schneider, while 19-year-old phenom Mila Andreeva, the highest seed remaining at No. 8 in the women’s bracket, will face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. Andreeva looked dominant throughout the tournament, dropping just one set.
Andreeva, making her second French Open semifinal appearance, easily defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 on Tuesday. Her backhand is already a world-class weapon, but Andreeva’s all-court game suggests she’s ready for her first final.
“Well, for me it doesn’t matter who I play,” Andreeva said when asked about facing Kostyuk. “I’m really trying to play against the balls that are coming at me. Usually it doesn’t matter to me who I play with, so I’m really trying to focus on the game and the game plan that I have to use on the court.”
Women’s semifinals (Thursday)
- (25) Diana Schneider vs. Maya Chwalinska
- (8) Mila Andreeva vs. (15) Marta Kostyuk
