Alex de Minaur's Wimbledon campaign ended in disappointment as he fell to Italy's Flavio Cobolli 5-7, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 in the fourth round on a sweltering day at No. 1 Court. The Australian No. 1 and world No. 6, who had his sights set on a first grand slam semi-final, was outplayed by Cobolli's aggressive style and struggled with his first serve.
De Minaur's Missed Opportunities
De Minaur had chances to seize control, particularly in the second set where he led 5-2 before losing it in a tie-break. He also failed to convert multiple break points, including two at 40-15 on Cobolli's serve in the first set. The Italian, ranked 48th, showed greater mental resilience, having spent 10.5 hours on court in week one compared to de Minaur's 6.5 hours.
First Set Drama
The first set was marked by both players landing first serves below 50%. De Minaur saved three break points at 5-5 but eventually lost the set when Cobolli forced a fourth break point and converted. The Italian then won a 39-shot rally, the longest of the tournament, to serve out the set in 50 minutes.
Second Set Collapse
De Minaur broke early in the second set to lead 5-2, but Cobolli won 11 consecutive points to level the set. In the tie-break, de Minaur initially broke back for 3-3 but lost his serve twice as Cobolli took it 7-4. The Australian's fiancee, Katie Boulter, watched from the stands wearing an England shirt.
Third Set Fightback Falls Short
De Minaur broke immediately in the third set but was broken back. He saved three break points at 3-2 but committed a forehand error on the fourth to allow Cobolli to level. From there, Cobolli won 12 of the last 14 points to seal the match. De Minaur's defeat ends Australia's singles challenge at Wimbledon for another year.
