French Open: Cobolli advances to maiden Grand Slam final; virus forces Arnaldi out of event

PARIS: Matteo Arnaldi was forced to withdraw from his French Open semifinal against Flavio Cobolli on Friday after being struck by a virus, sending Cobolli into his first Grand Slam final without playing a point.

The announcement came just 25 minutes before the match was scheduled to begin, leaving fans disappointed as one of the tournament’s most anticipated contests ended in a walkover.

Arnaldi revealed that he had been unwell since Thursday night, suffering repeated bouts of vomiting and severe dizziness. The Italian said he was unable to recover sufficiently to compete at the highest level.

“I vomited several times during the night. Every time I get up I feel dizzy and I don’t feel at my best,” Arnaldi explained. “I’m pretty sure if I eat again I’m not going to feel good, so withdrawing was the right decision.”

The late withdrawal handed 10th seed Flavio Cobolli a place in his maiden Grand Slam final. Cobolli said he learned about the situation roughly an hour before the match and admitted he was overwhelmed by emotion.

“I was ready to play and fight for a place in the final,” Cobolli said. “I almost cried when I heard the news. I feel very sorry for Matteo because nobody wants to reach a final this way.”

Despite the unusual circumstances, Cobolli now advances to the biggest match of his career and will compete for his first Grand Slam title on Sunday.