Pegula beats defending champ Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final

Cincinnati Masters: Fils advances to men's final after dominating Cobolli

France's Arthur Fils stormed into the men's final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Saturday, defeating Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4 in a match delayed for 45 minutes due to rain and lightning. This marks Fils' first ever Masters 1000 final, and he will face the winner of the all-American semi-final between Brandon Nakashima and Frances Tiafoe.

Fils triumphed over Cobolli, who reached the French Open semi-final, for the third time in their head-to-head encounters. The 22-year-old Frenchman secured his spot as the youngest French Masters finalist since 20-year-old Richard Gasquet in 2002.

The 68-minute match concluded on a tense note, as rain arrived just minutes after the end, briefly interrupting the start of a women's semi-final between Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula. Fils acknowledged the challenging situation caused by the weather delay, stating that he was more nervous coming on court after the interruption. However, he praised his ability to adapt to the new conditions.

Cobolli took the early lead, breaking Fils with the help of double-faults, but found himself on the wrong side of the scoreboard when Fils equalized at 2-all. The Italian was then ousted for the second time, as Fils capitalized on an opportunity with a concluding winner after 25 minutes. Fils sealed the victory with a powerful forehand winner, finishing the match with six aces.

Fils expressed his satisfaction with his performance, noting that his momentum shifted from 4-3 in the first set following some difficult rallies. He attributed his success to a strong finish on serve.