Flavio Cobolli wasted no time in booking his flight home just minutes after his defeat to Arthur Fery, even before facing the media. The Italian ninth seed was thoroughly outclassed by the British sensation on Wimbledon's Centre Court, going down 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 in the quarter-finals.
Cobolli's Swift Departure
He swiftly arranged to return to Rome by securing the earliest available flight out of London. A crestfallen Cobolli admitted: "I came here too early. I felt my body still on the court. The emotions are still there. It's tough to talk also for me that I always have a smile on my face, also when I lose. Maybe today I don't sleep really well, also because I have the flight very early. I already took it."
"I want to go home straight and fast as possible. Of course, from tomorrow I will reset my mind. I think I go to make two days off with my girlfriend, maybe easier to forget about this loss. Still, like I said before, I'm a quarter-finalist of a Grand Slam, so I have to be happy about myself."
Prize Money and Perks
Cobolli departs for Italy with a £480,000 cheque waiting to be cashed upon his return. He also walks away with lifetime Wimbledon tickets, having earned his place in the prestigious last-eight club.
Reflections on the Match
"I felt the game of Arthur was really good for him, the way that I played, and I think the perfect game for him," added Cobolli. "I think that I didn't play good since the first point of the match. Maybe I was a little bit nervous. Maybe I felt the pressure that normally I don't feel. Play a quarter-final against a guy that already played marathon match, many hours on court, ranking lower than me, so I felt like it was a chance to have a good day for me today."
"Maybe, like my team says, I wasn't so humble since the first point, but I felt that it wasn't my day. But still quarter-final in Grand Slam, so I'm still happy."
Fery's Historic Run
Fery, who is just the second wildcard in Wimbledon history to make it through to a semi-final, will play second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday. He said: "I can't believe it, it's incredible playing on Centre Court for the second time, the second win."
