Cobolli Outlasts Nakashima in Lyon to Reach First Indoor Semifinal and Tighten Grip on Turin Race
Top seed Flavio Cobolli recovered from a set down to beat Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Lyon on Friday, reaching the first indoor semifinal of his career and strengthening his hold on No. 5 in the race to the ATP Finals.
Flavio Cobolli keeps marching toward Turin. The top seed battled past Brandon Nakashima 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Lyon on Friday, reaching the semifinals of the ATP 250 event and the first indoor semifinal of his career.
After more than two hours of tug-of-war, Cobolli's reward is an all-Italian semifinal against compatriot Lorenzo Musetti, who edged France's Luca Van Assche 7-6(5), 6-7(7), 6-4 in a three-hour, 33-minute epic. The other semifinal guarantees the tournament's first American finalist, with second seed Taylor Fritz facing fourth seed Tommy Paul.
The victory collects 50 race points for Cobolli and further consolidates his No. 5 position in the battle for the ATP Finals, putting him 130 points clear of Daniil Medvedev and Arthur Fils — both of whom are also through to semifinals this week, in Almaty and Brussels respectively.
Chasing his second title of the season and his third hard-court semifinal of the year, Cobolli looks increasingly at home in the autumn indoor swing. Turin is within touching distance.