Flavio Cobolli surrenders to Hurkacz on his debut in Halle

Flavio Cobolli ITA, 2002.05.06

The adventure ends in the first round Flavio Cobolli in the ATP 500 in Halle 2024, Germany. The Roman tennis player was defeated by the number 5 seed, the Pole Hubert Hurkaczwith the score 7-5, 7-6(2) after an hour and 35 minutes of battle.
Despite the result, Cobolli put in a good overall performance, considering he was up against one of the best grass specialists on the circuit. Hurkacz made his power on serve count, scoring 19 aces, including four in the second set tie-break alone. The Pole committed only two double faults and conceded a break throughout the match (at 4-2 in the first set)

In the first set, Cobolli fought courageously, trying to hang on to the match, but had to give way to Hurkacz 7-5 (decisive break in the twelfth game after the Pole had lost a break lead at 4 to 2) . In the second set, the Italian once again tried to counter his opponent’s game, managing to take the set to a tie-break after canceling two match points at 5 to 6 with serve available. However, Hurkacz’s greater experience and brilliance on serve made the difference, with the Pole winning 7 points to 2 by playing a perfect tiebreak and hitting two consecutive aces at 5 to 2.
Thanks to this victory, Hubert Hurkacz enters the second round of the Halle tournament, where he will face the winner of the match between the wild card Fonseca and the qualified Duckworth.

For Flavio Cobolli, this is the second consecutive defeat in the first round, after the one he suffered last week in Stuttgart against Struff. Two unfortunate draws for the Roman, who found himself facing probably the worst possible opponents in a first round of a 250 and a 500. Despite the difficulties, Cobolli has shown that he can compete at high levels even on grass, a surface on which one is trying to adapt his game.

The blue player, currently in the top 50 in the ATP ranking, will now try to return to victory in the next event, the ATP 250 tournament in Eastbourne, which will start next Monday. It will be an opportunity for Cobolli to regain confidence and confirm his constant growth on the circuit, in view of a summer that promises to be intense and full of opportunities.

ATP Halle

Hubert Hurkacz [5]

Flavio Cobolli