Quarterfinal? Will watch Portugal vs Spain with Dad: Cobolli after De Minaur win

Flavio Cobolli joked that his immediate focus was not on his quarter-final opponent at Wimbledon but on watching his father’s Portugal take on Spain after booking a place in the last eight on Monday. The Italian ninth seed beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 in a composed display on Court One to reach her second straight Wimbledon quarter-final.

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The win continued the best Grand Slam season of Cobolli’s career, coming just weeks after his runner-up finish at the French Open and cementing his rise among the ATP Tour’s elite.

“I feel tired on tour, so I’m very happy to reach the quarter-finals in three sets, because it’s important to stay energized for the next round,” Cobolli said after the match. “This year was so hot, we saw people in the crowd struggling. Thanks for coming today. Thanks for staying. I really appreciate it. I’m so happy and proud of myself.”

When asked if he would watch Arthur Fery’s fourth-round winner against Grigor Dimitrov, Cobolli had a different plan in mind. “I’m definitely not going to watch it. Like you, ice cream every day and dad cooks pasta with tomatoes and onions,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know, maybe we’ll meet here. There’s practice. I want to watch Spain and Portugal.”

Cobolli’s victory was built on composure in difficult conditions as soaring temperatures led to several stoppages in play after spectators required medical attention. The 24-year-old also shared a light exchange with De Minaur during one of the stoppages, stressing the mutual respect between the two players despite the high stakes.

After securing a match point, Cobolli burst into Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “SIUUU” celebration and delighted the crowd as he celebrated reaching his second consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final.

Watch here –

SIUUUUUUUUUUU!

Flavio Cobolli sends off Cristiano Ronaldo after reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Alex de Minaur. pic.twitter.com/M7SkgznwP2— India Today Sports (@ITGDsports) July 6, 2026

COBOLLLI POWERS 5. DE MINAUR SEED

Cobolli made a decisive move in the opening set when he broke De Minaur in the 11th game after forcing a backhand error before serving out the set in 50 minutes.

The Australian then looked set to level the match after taking a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Cobolli staged a remarkable comeback, winning three games in a row before taking control of the tie-break to move two sets ahead.

The Italian’s aggressive baseline play continued to trouble De Minaur in the third set. After going 0-2 down, Cobolli broke back in the sixth game and maintained control, eventually sealing the win with a powerful serve down the middle that the Australian couldn’t return.

Throughout the contest, Cobolli repeatedly found answers to De Minaur’s renowned defensive skills. He produced some stunning forehand winners, converted crucial break points at key moments and showed remarkable composure on his serve. He shrugged off a late double fault by responding with two scintillating forehands to earn match points before completing the victory in style.

Cobolli will now face the winner of the fourth-round match between Britain’s Arthur Fery and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, with a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals at stake.

– The end

Published on:

06 Jul 2026 22:57 IST