Clutch Cobolli saves all eight break points to reach Acapulco SFs
Flavio Cobolli continued his quest for a third ATP Tour title Thursday when he surged past China’s Wu Yibing 7-6(4), 6-1 at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
The Italian, who is the highest-ranked player remaining in Acapulco at No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is into a semi-final for the second consecutive week, having arrived in Mexico after reaching that stage in Delray Beach.
Despite making just 49 per cent of his first serves, Cobolli won 83 per cent (30/36) of those points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 23-year-old saved all eight break points he faced, six of which came in the second set. Cobolli dug out of a 15/40 hole in his final three service games, sealing the victory after one hour and 35 minutes.
“I think when you don’t play like you want, but you still stay positive in your mindset — I think it’s [great] for me because it’s never happened in the past. So now it’s a little bit better, I’m very proud,” said Cobolli.
“I really appreciate my attitude on the court because it’s not easy to play against [Wu] and I think he deserved to win the first set. I put a lot of energy in my game and I think I played a really good second set.”
The fifth seed, who last year won the ATP 250 event in Bucharest and the ATP 500 in Hamburg, next faces Miomir Kecmanovic. One day after upsetting top seed Alexander Zverev, Kecmanovic downed French lefty Terence Atmane 6-3, 6-3.
Man on a mission 🫡
No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli holds firm against Wu 7-6(4), 6-1 to reach his sixth tour-level semi-final. @AbiertoTelcel | #AMT2026 pic.twitter.com/KZKGRk3LeH
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 27, 2026
In other action, Frances Tiafoe advanced to his first Acapulco semi-final in his eighth appearance at the event. The eighth-seeded American downed Italian Mattia Bellucci 6-3, 6-4.
Tiafoe missed a routine forehand down break point when serving at 5-3 in the second set, but regrouped to earn a break of his own in a topsy-turvy game, sealing his place in the last four on his third match point.
Aiming for his fourth tour-level crown and first above ATP 250 level, Tiafoe awaits sixth seed Valentin Vacherot or countryman Brandon Nakashima.