Cobolli exits the US Open in the third round against Blockx

A balanced match, as predicted, for a set and a half. Then the blackout, too long to be remedied. Flavio Cobolli bids farewell to the US Open in the third round against Alexander Blockx, a match closed in four sets (6-7 6-3 6-0 6-3) which however could be divided into three acts: the fight, the eleven consecutive games won by the Belgian, the last - insufficient - cartridges fired by the Roman.

The first abundant hour is characterized by high intensity tennis. The Italian takes the lead between the two with a break at 3-1, but Blockx (born in 2005) comes back at 4 all. The first set is therefore decided in a tiebreak, where Cobolli wins 7-4. In the second the script remains the same, with the Roman tennis player having to work a little harder than his opponent to keep his serves.

It is the proverbial seventh game that proves fatal for him: after saving a break point, the obstacle arises again and this time, in the descent to the net, the volley remains on his racket. The regret for the mistake drags him into nervousness, while on the other hand the Belgian shows himself to be implacable, even raising the level of his tennis. In a very short time, from 7-6 3-2 in his favour, Cobolli finds himself 6-7 3-6 6-0: at that point, he tries to take a break by going to the changing rooms.

Upon returning, Blockx wins the first game but the blue clings to his serve, cancels a chance for his opponent and mentally gets back into the game, so much so that when he then suffers the break he returns it immediately. At 3 all he even has the chance to take the lead by snatching the lead from the class of 2005, who however is good at canceling it - regardless of his being in the first Slam third round of his career. It is the preamble to the finale, because from there the Belgian returns to set the cruising speed and no longer leaves a way out for a fluctuating Cobolli throughout the tournament: this time, on the other side of the net, there was a player of a higher level than Schoolkate and Comesana, against whom the extraordinary ability to come back after the roller coaster could not be enough.

The Italian is yet another top seed to exit the men's draw at Flushing Meadows: after Auger-Aliassime, Djokovic and Musetti - above all - Taylor Fritz also bids farewell to his home tournament, who after being ahead for two sets and a break at the Arthur Ashe Stadium was overtaken by the Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, who concluded the feat with a score of 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4.