PARIS — An Italian player will be in the men’s singles final at the French Open this weekend, and it’s not Jannik Sinner.
No, it’s not Lorenzo Musetti, either.
The final answer to that question will come Friday, when Matteo Arnaldi, 25, faces faces countryman Flavio Cobolli, 24, on the red clay of Roland Garros in the first Grand Slam semifinal for each player.
Cobolli, seeded 10th, beat No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, on Wednesday, while Arnaldi advanced late in the last quarterfinal when Matteo Berrettini, yet another Italian, retired from the matchup of unseeded players because of an injury to his left hip. Arnaldi was leading 7-5, 5-2 at the time. Berrettini, 30, had received treatment during a medical timeout earlier in the second set.
“We have to be happy for Italian tennis,” Cobolli said.