Adrian Mannarino produced a clear upset at the Shanghai Masters. The unseeded Frenchman defeated sixth-seeded Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 event. The outdoor hard-court match lasted 2 hours and 26 minutes. For Mannarino, it was his first win of the season against a top-10 player.
Mannarino dominates the opening set
Adrian Mannarino got off to the better start, despite having to save a break point in the very first game. The left-hander then took control, putting Flavio Cobolli under pressure with precise returns and solid baseline play. Cobolli had no answer to his opponent's varied game throughout the opening set.
The Italian dropped his serve three times in a row, while Mannarino did not offer a single break point opportunity of his own, taking the first set 6-1. Cobolli racked up a large number of unforced errors in that phase, particularly off the forehand, and his serve offered him no way out of trouble either.
Cobolli levels the match
The sixth seed responded strongly in the second set, playing with greater patience from the baseline and increasing the pressure on return. An early break put him in a commanding position, only for Adrian Mannarino to respond immediately with a re-break.
Cobolli reclaimed the advantage straight away, shifting the momentum decisively in his favour. The Italian began hitting with more depth and consistency, and although Mannarino remained dangerous, he could not turn the set around. Flavio Cobolli levelled the match by taking it 6-4.
Mannarino seals it in the deciding set
The third set began as a tight, evenly contested affair. Both players held serve and searched for openings on return, until Adrian Mannarino delivered the decisive blow by converting the first break point of the set.
Cobolli was immediately back under pressure. His high error count continued to be a problem, while Mannarino handled the key exchanges with greater composure. Serving for the match, the Frenchman had to save two break points, but held his nerve and closed out the victory on his second match point to win 6-3.
Statistics highlight Mannarino's efficiency
The match statistics reflected the overall picture. Adrian Mannarino won 85 per cent of his service games and saved 78 per cent of the break points he faced. When it came to his own break point opportunities, he converted half of them. Flavio Cobolli, by contrast, won just 62 per cent of his service games and had his serve broken five times in total.
Mannarino also came out on top on return, winning 53 per cent of all points played. Cobolli finished with ten aces and 30 winners, but committed 42 unforced errors. Mannarino struck five aces, made 28 unforced errors, and kept his composure during the critical moments of the deciding set.
The victory marked Mannarino's first third-round appearance at an ATP Masters 1000 event since Cincinnati in 2025. The Frenchman, ranked 83rd in the world, made the most of his experience against world number seven Flavio Cobolli. For Cobolli, it was another painful setback during the Asian hard-court swing, following his early exit at the tournament in Beijing.
