PARIS.- The end of Roland Garros is served: German Alexander Zverev He advanced to it after beating the Czech Jakub Mensik in the semifinals of the Parisian tournament, a round that the Italian Flavio Cobolli overcame without playing due to his compatriot’s sick leave Matteo Arnaldi.
Zverev, world number three and who has a great opportunity to win his first grand slamwill therefore have to face a Cobolli that is fourteenth in the ranking ATP and that he will have the advantage of more rest, not having to spend a minute on the court this Friday to validate his ticket to Sunday’s final.
Fourth attempt
In the only semifinal where there was a battle on the court Philippe ChatrierZverev controlled the situation well against the Czech Mensik, 27th in the world and who lost to the 29-year-old Hamburger 7-5, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-3, in three hours and one minute.
Mensik was playing the first semifinal of his career in a Grand Slam, but he could only show glimpses of his class on this occasion, as in the third set, but at no time did he seem to be able to turn the match around against an opponent with whom he had already lost in his only previous confrontation, at the end of April in the Madrid Masters 1000.
“Today was, without a doubt, my most difficult match so far in the tournament. But, although I had difficult moments, like that lost third set, I have the feeling that I controlled the situation well,” celebrated the German star.
Zverev, who in the quarterfinals had woken the young Spaniard from his sleep Rafa Jodarwill experience his second final at Roland Garros on Sunday and the fourth of his career in a Grand Slam, where he has not yet managed to lift the trophy after falling in the previous three: in the US Open 2020 against the Austrian Dominic Thiemin Roland Garros 2024 against the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz and in the Australian Open 2025 versus the Italian Jannik Sinner.
extra pressure
This year, Zverev has been under the pressure of being the favorite almost since the beginning of a crazy Roland Garros.
Alcaraz, who raised the previous two years the Musketeers Cup in Parisdid not attend this time due to an injury and Sinner, world number one, fell in the second round against the Argentine Juan Manuel Cerúndolowhile the Serbian Novak Djokovicwinner of 23 Grand Slam tournaments, said goodbye in the third round against the Brazilian João Fonseca.
“Sasha” is now one victory away from becoming the first German tennis player to win Roland Garros since the very distant successes of his compatriots Gottfried von Cramm (1934, 1936) and Henner Henkel (1937) and the first player from his country to triumph in a men’s Grand Slam since Boris Becker He won the Australian Open in 1996.
In the women’s category, German tennis did have several joys in the “Open era” in Paris, all of them thanks to Steffi Grafcrowned six times at Roland Garros, the last of them in 1999.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone”
Less than an hour after Zverev’s victory over Mensik, the surprise news of the day arrived, announced over the public address system in the center court press room, minutes before an official statement: Matteo Arnaldi He is affected by a “virus” and declared himself unavailable for the semi-final against Cobolli, which thus automatically qualified for the final.
Shortly after, the two Italians appeared at a press conference at Chatrier.
“I was fine yesterday (Thursday), I came to train. But last night I felt sick to my stomach. I started vomiting and couldn’t sleep,” he told reporters.
“Being dropped before your first Grand Slam semi-final is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But I couldn’t move, eat or drink. So it was impossible to play a match. It’s the right decision,” he said.
About three meters from Arnaldi, Cobolli also appeared before the media and revealed that he was “on the verge of crying” when he found out what was happening to his compatriot.
“I didn’t expect it at all. I was prepared for this game. I’m very sad for him, but at the same time very happy with my results this week,” he said.
