Italian trio advances to Roland Garros round of 16

An Italian wave is surging at Roland Garros, with three players reaching the round of 16 in a triumphant day for the nation's tennis.

Flavio Cobolli, Matteo Berrettini, and Matteo Arnaldi all secured their spots in the next stage of the French Open. Cobolli dispatched his American opponent Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 with relative ease on the Philippe-Chatrier court. The young Italian expressed his gratitude in French, "Grazie, merci," and playfully quipped to PSG fans about their recent European victory, asking them to keep the noise down.

Cobolli, ranked 13th in the world, acknowledged the open draw following the early exits of top contenders like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. "When you walk through the locker room, there's an opening for everyone, and everyone wants to seize it," he stated, expressing his readiness to fight for every point. He sees this as a significant opportunity, especially on clay, his preferred surface.

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When you walk through the locker room, there's an opening for everyone, and everyone wants to seize it.

Matteo Berrettini also battled through a marathon match, defeating Francisco Comesana in a five-hour, 13-minute contest. This victory, his longest career match, saw him save two match points in the final tiebreak. "I'm so happy," Berrettini exclaimed, visibly moved by his performance, which he considered almost unthinkable just weeks prior. The win came after a grueling five sets, with Berrettini ultimately prevailing 7-6, 5-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.

Their collective success provides a much-needed boost for Italian tennis fans, offering a bright spot after the unexpected elimination of their top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, from the tournament.

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I'm so happy