Alexander Zverev moved into the French Open final after a 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over No 26 seed Jakub Mensik, while Flavio Cobolli advanced by walkover when Matteo Arnaldi withdrew with a viral illness.
Zverev said he felt fit and saw Arnaldi in the locker room, adding that the withdrawal was unfortunate but he did not expect much difference for the final on Sunday, as he told reporters.
Mensik, playing his first major semifinal, struggled with serve consistency on a windy day, landing only 60 percent of his high-speed first serves and winning 49 percent of his second-serve points, which Zverev exploited at crucial moments.
Cobolli practised on Court Philippe-Chatrier after learning he would not play a semifinal, and he told reporters that almost four days off could help or hurt him, saying he would be fresh but unsure if rhythm would be lost.
Arnaldi reached his first Grand Slam semifinal after a marathon run earlier in the tournament, having spent a record 19 hours and 42 minutes on court to reach the last four, but he fell ill and could not take the court for the semifinal.
Context And Implications For The Final
The matchup sets a first-time Grand Slam finalist against a player seeking a first major title, with Zverev entering his fourth major final and Cobolli appearing in his first.
Zverev enters the final with an 0-3 record in previous major finals, having lost to Dominic Thiem, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in earlier title matches, a narrative noted by tournament coverage.
Cobolli arrives with strong serving figures for the event, reported as 39 aces and a 77 percent first-serve rate for the tournament, and he showed sustained serving in the quarterfinals with a stretch of 13 consecutive service holds.
The pair have met four times before, with Zverev leading their head to head three wins to one, and their recent clay meetings split with Cobolli winning in Munich and Zverev prevailing in Madrid and at Roland Garros last year.
The tournament has been marked by withdrawals and upsets, including a withdrawn title defence, retirements and surprise losses to lower-ranked opponents, leaving Zverev as the highest-ranked remaining player and the pre-match favourite.
