Cobolli Survives Two-Set Hole in US Open Five-Set Epic

From the Brink to the Second Round

Flavio Cobolli nearly became one of the week's most damaging first-round exits at the 2026 US Open, but the Italian fifth seed produced a landmark recovery to defeat Argentina's Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in just over four hours on Tuesday evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium — with the roof closed against rain in front of a packed house. Crucially, Cobolli had never before turned around a two-set deficit in a Grand Slam match: in eight previous attempts he had failed every time. The ninth time, at the most important moment, he finally got it done.

The first two sets were grim. Cobolli lost his serve four times across them, managed just 54 per cent of first deliveries in play and carved out zero break-point chances against a Comesana who was moving well and striking cleanly from the baseline. Ranked comfortably outside the top 50, the Argentine looked on course for one of the week's biggest upsets.

The Third Set Changed Everything

Something shifted at the start of the third. Cobolli's first-serve percentage climbed, his footwork improved and he found more solutions through the middle of the court. He broke early for a 3-1 lead, and the defining statistic of the set tells the story of his mental shift: Comesana produced eight break-point chances in that third set, and Cobolli saved all eight. Taking it 6-3, he went on to race to a 4-0 lead in the fourth and close it out 6-4 to force a decider.

The fifth set delivered a final scare. Comesana broke twice in rapid succession to lead 2-0, threatening to drag the Italian back into the darkness. Cobolli responded with a love break of his own, ground the set to 4-4, found one more break in the ninth game and sealed the match with a blistering forehand volley into the open court. The Arthur Ashe crowd, kept there well into the evening by rain delays, gave him the reception the fight deserved.

A Productive Day for Italian Tennis

Cobolli's survival was the most dramatic subplot on a Tuesday that was broadly kind to Italian players. Lorenzo Musetti, the 13th seed returning from a thigh injury that had cost him two majors earlier in 2026, was altogether more businesslike in dismissing France's Arthur Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. There were no frights for the Italian in a controlled, disciplined performance.

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American ninth seed Taylor Fritz was Tuesday's smoothest mover through the draw, beating wildcard Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 without excessive effort to maintain his status as one of the home contenders in a men's draw reshaped by the first-round exit of Novak Djokovic and the pre-tournament withdrawal of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner through a knee injury.

What Cobolli Must Produce Next

Top seed Alexander Zverev opens his own campaign on Wednesday, and the broader picture for Cobolli is that the draw has become more open than many anticipated before the tournament began. But he cannot afford the sluggish start he produced against Comesana. A four-hour-plus match leaves marks on the body, and the second round arrives quickly at a Grand Slam. Cobolli's summer showed he has the game to go deep in a major; Tuesday's match proved the resilience is also there when it matters most. The next test is whether he can deliver the full package from the first point.