MASON, Ohio — The first two spots in the Cincinnati Open men’s semifinals are officially set, and they belong to Flavio Cobolli and Arthur Fils.
The two young stars took very different paths through their quarterfinal matches Thursday, but both now find themselves one win away from a place in the Cincinnati final.
Cobolli Keeps Finding a Way
Flavio Cobolli’s breakthrough Cincinnati run continued with another comeback.
The Italian dropped the opening set to American Tommy Paul 6-2 before turning the match around, winning the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 to reach the first Masters 1000 semifinal of his career. The match lasted nearly two hours.
It was also Cobolli’s fourth consecutive three-set match in Cincinnati, a sign of just how hard-fought his run has been. He has repeatedly found a way to stay in matches and turn them around when the momentum appears to be against him.
There was even a memorable moment during Thursday’s comeback. After struggling early, Cobolli turned to some candy from the tournament’s on-site supply during a changeover, using the quick sugar boost as part of his effort to regain energy.
Whatever the formula, it worked.
Cobolli is now into his first Masters 1000 semifinal and will have another major opportunity on Saturday.
Fils Continues His Masters 1000 Run
Arthur Fils took a much more straightforward route into the final four.
The Frenchman defeated Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante 6-3, 6-2, advancing to his third Masters 1000 semifinal of the 2026 season.
Fils has put together one of the strongest runs of the Cincinnati tournament, including a statement victory over fifth seed Alex de Minaur in the round of 16.
His win over Tirante also continued an impressive stretch in which the Frenchman has shown that he can compete deep into the biggest tournaments on the ATP calendar.
At just 21 years old, Fils is already becoming a familiar name in the final stages of Masters 1000 events.
A New Cincinnati Semifinal
Now, Cobolli and Fils will meet for a place in the Cincinnati Open final.
The semifinal is scheduled for Saturday, August 22.
Their paths could hardly have been more different: Cobolli has survived one battle after another, while Fils has combined powerful performances with another deep Masters 1000 run.
One thing is certain: one of them will be playing for a Masters 1000 title on Sunday.
For both players, Cincinnati has already become an important chapter in their 2026 seasons. Now, they have one more match to win to reach the final.
Leave a comment