Cobolli puts the brakes on Jódar

Rafa Jódar has experienced the bitter side of defeat in the round of 16 of the ATP Cincinnati 2026, where Flavio Cobolli came from behind to win 5-6 7-6(3) 6-3 after 2 hours and 31 minutes of play. It was not the best match for either player, but it was the Italian who knew how to step up in key moments to secure his place in the quarterfinals.

There’s little to criticize about the Spanish tennis player, who has found a consistency that is impressive at just 19 years old, bringing him closer to the top 10 and even to the ATP Finals at the end of the year. You can't always win, and this time he saw his rival gradually outpace him until he was overwhelmed in a third set where he was always trailing. Cobolli, for his part, will face the winner of the duel between Alexander Zverev and Tommy Paul for a spot in the semifinals.

Jódar takes the first set amidst too many mistakes

The match began with a aggressive and combative Cobolli, to the point where he was the first to have several break points at 1-1 on the scoreboard. However, Jódar managed to stop the onslaught thanks to his serve and the Italian's inaccuracies at critical moments in the game. Shortly after, it was the Spaniard who had the chance to break his opponent's serve, but he played a return that just missed. From that moment on, Jódar started to gain momentum while Cobolli began to falter under the pressure of the Spaniard's shots. 

As a result, there were three more break points for Jódar with a 3-2 lead. However, due to Flavio's good play and the errors from the Madrid player, they went unused. So much so that in the next game with serve, Rafa didn't miss and took advantage of a double fault from the Italian to go up 5-3, but in a game to forget he gifted his serve and lost the advantage. The good news is that with 5-4, Cobolli’s nerves showed, allowing Jódar to close out a first set where both players made many errors.

Cobolli rules in chaos against Jódar

The second set began with the same parity as the first, although this time there were no break points until 3-3, when Cobolli capitalized on the first one he had after a forehand into the net from Jódar to regain the confidence he had lost until then. However, Flavio's joy was short-lived, as he had several unforced errors to drop serve immediately afterwards.

With a 5-4 lead, Jódar applied pressure on return, but Cobolli held his ground, and the second set ended up being decided in a tiebreak, where Flavio was braver than Rafa and very precise at crucial points to take the match to the final set. Without a doubt, it was a cold shower for Jódar, who was just two points away from sealing his place in the quarterfinals.

Rafa collapses under Flavio's push

In the third set, Cobolli started playing much more freely and with confidence, while Jódar appeared to be trailing a bit more. The break could be sensed from the start of the set, and with a 3-2 lead for the Italian, Rafa lost his serve to love and found himself on the ropes. Despite having a chance to break back in the next game, Flavio withstood the pressure and remained solid with his forehand, giving Jódar no options, who seemed downcast.

The Spanish player never stopped trying, but ultimately Cobolli closed with a definitive 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. After reaching the final in Washington and the semifinals in Montreal, Jódar says goodbye earlier than expected this time, although this will allow him to rest ahead of the US Open, which will begin in just over a week.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Cobolli frena en seco a Jódar