Cobolli Pulls Out of Paris Masters as Injury Ends His Season Finale Hopes

Flavio Cobolli has withdrawn from the Paris Masters because of the muscle injury that forced him to retire in Vienna last week, putting his ATP Finals debut in serious doubt. The world No. 6 had expressed doubts about playing earlier on Monday, and the decision to pull out was made shortly afterwards. Cobolli had been due to start his campaign on Wednesday after receiving a first-round bye as a seed, but he has chosen not to risk his fitness at the final Masters 1000 event of the season. The injury came in an emotional match in Vienna on Thursday, when Cobolli was playing his close friend Matteo Berrettini for the first time on tour and retired in tears while trailing 5-2 in the first set with an apparent muscle problem. His place in the Paris draw goes to Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante, who enters as a lucky loser after losing in qualifying and will go straight into the second round against either Jan-Lennard Struff or French wild card Arthur Gea. Before Paris, Cobolli was all but assured of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin from November 15 to 22, where the top nine in the Race will take part following Jannik Sinner's season-ending knee injury. He is also part of Italy's squad for the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna from November 24 to 29, where Italy face Korea Republic in the quarter-finals.