Cobolli comes back from the brink to gain revenge over Blockx and reach Cincinnati last 16

Italian Flavio Cobolli, the No. 7 seed, beat Belgian Alexander Blockx, the No. 28 seed, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 on Monday evening to reach the last 16 of the Cincinnati Open, avenging a loss to Blockx at Monte Carlo in April along the way.

The Italian was two points from defeat with Blockx serving for the match at 5-3 in the decider, but broke back and reeled off the last four games to close it out 7-5.

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It was a fitting response for the top-ranked Italian left in the draw, who fell to Blockx 6-3, 6-3 in their only previous meeting.

The win matched Cobolli’s best result at this event, his fourth Masters 1000 appearance in the last 16, and was his 29th of the season.

Cobolli, ranked No. 10, will next face the winner of the match between Spaniard Rafael Jodar, the No. 12 seed, and Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, the No. 22 seed. He had beaten Serb Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the same stage, while Blockx, ranked No. 32, had beaten Argentina’s Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 64.