The opportunity for Arthur, but also for Flavio.

This Masters 1000 is very open, and even if everyone thinks it’s an open door for Fils, we mustn’t forget that Cobolli is also an expert at making the most of his draws, as he showed notably at Roland-Garros.

Yet another big battle won by Cobolli, who’s been chaining them together since the first round and even said he was tired at the end of his match, which is normal. The Italian is still not at his best tennis level, but he’s fighting and also gaining momentum. With the rest day and the great opportunity ahead, he will once again be hard to beat. But, as with his previous matches, he’ll need to really get into it, keep his mental focus throughout the match, and find solutions, because on paper, he’s really not the favourite at all.

Not the favourite at all, because on the other side, Fils is having an almost perfect tournament so far, with an incredible level of play. We know he’s capable of it, but between injuries and a few disappointments, it’s not always easy for our Frenchman to play his best tennis. But this week, that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s winning his matches comfortably with a good margin and gives off an impression of sheer dominance. On paper, he is clearly the strong favourite in this match, especially since he already leads the head-to-head against Cobolli.

It’s simple for me: when Arthur plays at this level, there are only a few players on tour who can keep up with him. I’m not sure Cobolli is one of them. The Italian is very good, but in terms of movement and athletic quality, I think Arthur is a bit better, and that’s usually one of Cobolli’s big strengths. Our Frenchman is better on the backhand side, it’s tighter on the forehand side, but I find there’s more stability with the French player, who is also becoming more consistent. The match is basically on his racket, but the pressure is on his side as well. He needs to be careful not to step on court too tight and start getting frustrated if he’s not playing his best tennis right from the first set, for example.