Flavio Cobolli saved three match points to beat Tommy Paul 6-2 4-6 7-5 at the Cincinnati Open.
Cobolli started the match with an early break in the first game of the opening set, but Paul broke straight back in the second game. Cobolli broke serve in the fifth set and held serve after saving two break points. Cobolli earned a second break in the seventh game to win the first set 6-2.
Paul broke in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead in the second set. Cobolli pulled back on serve in the seventh game and held serve in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Paul broke serve from 15-40 down in the 10th game to seal the second set 6-4.
Paul converted his third break point in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Cobolli broke straight back in the fifth game and held serve to 15 in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3.
Cobolli saved three match points from 15-40 down to hold serve in the 10th game of the third set. Cobolli converted his fourth break point in the 11th game before serving out the match in 2 hours and 6 minutes. Cobolli hit 25 winners to Paul’s 15 and converted 6 of the 12 break points he earned in the match.
Cobolli has scored the biggest wins of his career by ranking, but he had already played well against top 20 opponents during this hard-court season. He beat Ben Shelton en route to his first ATP Tour final in Washington two weeks ago before beating 19-ranked Felix Auger Aliassime in Montreal last week.
Cobolli has moved up to world number 30 in the ATP Ranking after winning his sixth Masters 1000 match win.
Cobolli will face a second round match against either Alejandro Tabilo or Luciano Darderi. Paul won the first ATP 500 title at Queen’s and reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon and at the Olympic Games in Paris. He is currently 11th in the ATP Live Race to Turin and is 370 points behind eighth-placed Alex De Minaur.
