Matteo (on the pitch for almost 20 hours in the tournament) limits himself to a half-hour session before lunch to save energy. Flavio instead trains for an hour at 4.30pm
The fatal hour of the first all-Italian semifinal in a Slam is approaching, and it is even more incredible that Sinner and Musetti are not among the protagonists, the number one in the world and the one who before the tournament was the second Italian player in the rankings, even if absent due to injury. Demonstration of the depth and richness of our movement, capable of producing a solid base of excellent players capable of seizing the best opportunities, even in Slams, when the opportunity arises.
THE DAY
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Flavio Cobolli (he has now become the second Italian in the ranking) and Matteo Arnaldi, it must be said, deserved this stage with a tournament that confirmed their technical and physical qualities as well as a champion mentality. Their approach to the most important match of their career followed different paths throughout the day. After the wake-up call and breakfast, Arnaldi opted for a gentle half-hour training session on the Chatrier, from quarter past twelve to quarter past one, a refinement to refine the final details and gain even more confidence with the Centrale. Matteo’s choice is understandable: in this way he will be able to dedicate the early hours of the afternoon to the tranquility of rest, after having remained on the pitch for 19 hours and 42 minutes in the previous 5 matches. When he arrives at Chatrier a couple of hours before the match, scheduled for 7pm, he will probably meet Cobolli, who has instead scheduled a one-hour training session at 4.30pm on a side field which will serve as a useful warm-up but also as a last opportunity to try out the game’s plans. For both, then, the last loosening up exercises in the locker room before the appointment that is worth a career.