The writing was on the clay. Flavio Cobolli, the No.10 seed, ousted Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday at Court Philippe-Chatrier to reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal and etch his name into the Roland-Garros record books.
Trailing by a set after a wind-disrupted opener, the 22-year-old Italian regrouped during a bathroom break that proved transformative. "I went to the toilet to think a bit, to change something. I felt like this is the chance of my life," Cobolli said on court. The tactical reset paid off handsomely: he converted five of his ten break points across the final three sets, smothering the Canadian with precise passing shots and relentless pressure.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded fourth, had been enjoying the tournament of his career, becoming the first Canadian man to reach the quarterfinals at all four Majors. But he could not sustain that level against Cobolli, struggling on key moments and leaking errors on his second serve.
Cobolli will now face either or in what is guaranteed to be the first all-Italian men's Grand Slam semifinal in history. "It will be a Matteo in the semis with me. Two good friends from the Tour. I wish them good luck," Cobolli beamed.
Italian men's tennis has officially entered uncharted territory in Paris: three quarterfinalists, a guaranteed semifinalist, and a guaranteed finalist. The Porte d'Auteuil speaks Italian this spring.
