Acapulco
\n Clutch Cobolli saves all eight break points to reach Acapulco SFs<\/p>\n
Italian rallies from 15\/40 in final three service games<\/p>\n
February 27, 2026<\/p>\n
Manuel Velasquez\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Flavio Cobolli, World No. 20, is the highest-ranked player remaining in Acapulco.
\n By ATP Staff<\/p>\n
Flavio Cobolli<\/a> continued his quest for a third ATP Tour title Thursday when he surged past China’s Wu Yibing<\/a> 7-6(4), 6-1 at the\u00a0Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Italian, who is the highest-ranked player remaining in Acapulco at No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is into a semi-final for the second consecutive week, having arrived in Mexico after reaching that stage in Delray Beach.<\/p>\n Despite making just 49 per cent of his first serves, Cobolli won 83 per cent (30\/36) of those points, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 23-year-old saved all eight break points he faced, six of which came in the second set. Cobolli dug out of a 15\/40 hole in his final three service games, sealing the victory after one hour and 35 minutes. <\/p>\n “I think when you don’t play like you want, but you still stay positive in your mindset\u00a0\u2014 I think it’s [great] for me because it’s never happened in the past. So now it’s a little bit better, I’m very proud,” said Cobolli.<\/p>\n \n“I really appreciate my attitude on the court because it’s not easy to play against [Wu] and I think he deserved to win the first set. I put a lot of energy in my game and I think I played a really good second set.”<\/p>\n The fifth seed, who last year won the ATP 250 event in Bucharest and the ATP 500 in Hamburg, next faces Miomir Kecmanovic<\/a>. One day after upsetting top seed Alexander Zverev<\/a>, Kecmanovic downed French lefty Terence Atmane<\/a> 6-3, 6-3.<\/p>\n Man on a mission \ud83e\udee1<\/p>\n No. 5 seed Flavio Cobolli<\/a> holds firm against Wu 7-6(4), 6-1 to reach his sixth tour-level semi-final. @AbiertoTelcel<\/a> | #AMT2026<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KZKGRk3LeH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) February 27, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n In other action, Frances Tiafoe<\/a> advanced to his first Acapulco semi-final in his eighth appearance at the event. The eighth-seeded American downed Italian Mattia Bellucci<\/a> 6-3, 6-4.<\/p>\n Tiafoe missed a routine forehand down break point when serving at 5-3 in the second set, but regrouped to earn a break of his own in a topsy-turvy game, sealing his place in the last four on his third match point.<\/p>\n Aiming for his fourth tour-level crown and first above ATP 250 level, Tiafoe will next take on countryman Brandon Nakashima<\/a>, who ousted sixth seed Valentin Vacherot<\/a> 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n