Cobolli’s Grit Seals Acapulco Final Spot
Flavio Cobolli clawed back from a third-set deficit against Miomir Kecmanovic in Acapulco, blending mental steel with sharp forehands to reach his fourth ATP Tour final and eye a career-high breakthrough.
Flavio Cobolli stepped into the semifinals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC with the poise of a player chasing consistency on hard courts. The 23-year-old Italian, seeded fifth, traded blows with Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in a match that lasted two hours and 26 minutes, ultimately prevailing 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4. What started as a baseline grind under Acapulco‘s high-altitude sun turned into a test of resolve, with Cobolli trailing 1-3 in the decider before reeling off five of the next six games.
The first set hung on a tiebreak where Cobolli’s heavy topspin forehands forced Kecmanovic into stretched crosscourt defenses, edging a 7-5 win. Kecmanovic responded in the second, breaking with a down-the-line backhand that exploited a shorter second serve, leveling the score amid rising crowd energy. As the third set began, the Serbian’s flat groundstrokes kept the pressure on, but Cobolli’s deeper positioning started to redirect the pace.
“We played an incredible match,” said Cobolli. “I’m really happy to be in the final for the first time here in Mexico. I think we both played an amazing match. I was a little bit lucky at the end, because at the crucial points sometimes you need luck. I’m really proud of myself because it wasn’t easy to come back.”
Trailing ignites a tactical shift
Down 1-3 in the decider, Cobolli felt the weight of the season’s demands—the early stumbles in Australia and the clay-court grind now fueling this hard-court surge. He leaned into his 1–2 pattern, slicing his serve wide before unloading inside-out forehands that pinned Kecmanovic deep on the plexicushion surface. The crowd’s murmurs swelled as the Italian held firm, his backhand variations gripping the court to create unlikely angles.
At 3-3, facing two break points, Cobolli crushed serve-plus-one forehand winners on consecutive points, the ball skidding low with vicious topspin past his opponent’s reach. This escape sparked a break back, his crosscourt backhand slicing underspin that drew a net cord error from the Serb. The momentum swung decisively, the air thick with tension and the distant hum of the Pacific breeze.
Clutch hold defies the wobble
Serving for the match at 5-3, Cobolli faltered with a double fault and unforced errors, allowing Kecmanovic to claw to deuce and force a hold. The Belgrade native, fresh off upsetting World No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the second round for his career-best win by PIF ATP Ranking, refused to fade easily. Yet Cobolli regrouped in the next game, earning a 0/40 lead with a down-the-line forehand that hugged the sideline.
He converted his second match point with another forehand winner, arms thrusting skyward in raw relief as the final point thudded into the tape. This victory positions Cobolli as the third Italian to reach three ATP 500 finals since the series began in 2009, joining Jannik Sinner (9) and Fabio Fognini (3). His growth shines through in these high-stakes escapes, turning vulnerability into victory on a surface that rewards bold redirects.
American final tests rising resolve
Ahead waits a showdown with an American—either eighth seed Frances Tiafoe or Brandon Nakashima—both wielding explosive baseline games suited to Acapulco’s quick conditions. Tiafoe’s serve could echo Kecmanovic’s early threats, while Nakashima’s steady returns might drag out rallies where Cobolli’s topspin wears down defenses. A title here would vault him past his career-high No. 17, capping a semifinal run that blends tactical adaptability with unyielding mental fortitude.
Kecmanovic’s bid for a first ATP 500 final ends in heartbreak, his flat backhand vulnerable to the Italian’s spin on this slower hard court. As night falls over the Sierra Madre, Cobolli’s path forward promises another layer of pressure, where composure in the clutch could define his breakthrough year.
