Arthur Rinderknech’s revival against Flavio Cobolli sends Argentina to United Cup QFs in Perth | ATP tour | Tennis

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Rinderknech’s revival against Cobolli sends Argentina to the United Cup QFs in Perth

Perth QF line-up sees USA vs Greece and Switzerland vs Argentina
January 6, 2026

Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech saved two match points to stun Flavio Cobolli and eliminate Italy in the United Cup quarter-final in Perth on Tuesday.

The result sees Argentina finish second in the Perth group with the best record. In Wednesday’s quarter-finals, defending champion United States will play Greece in the morning and Argentina will play Switzerland in the evening.

After saving two match points at 5-6 in the second set, Rinderknech rallied from a break in the third set to seal a gutsy 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-5 win in three hours and 21 minutes.

“I don’t know if it was seriously good, but it was seriously tough, that’s for sure,” said the top-ranked Frenchman. “He’s powerful and he made me play a lot of balls. I could somehow find a way like Stan found a way against me three days ago. Both games [went deep] in the third, so I think it’s good preparation for the Australian Open.”

Rinderknech survived fourteen Cobolli forehand winners in the second set as he came within a point of a set behind at 1-5. He trailed 2–4 in the third before digging deep to win five of the last six games, finishing with 13 aces and saving seven of 11 break points.

“[Near the end] I relaxed a little more when my back was against the wall,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything but try until the last shot. I’m going to talk to my coach Lucas and I’m sure we can get something positive out of it.”

Rinderknech finished 2025 as the number 1 Frenchman and in the Top 30 for the first time in his career. He now ranks number 27 in his career.

Although both Italy and France have been eliminated in the quarter-finals, play continues at the RAC Arena with Jasmine Paolini taking on Leolia Jeanjean, with mixed doubles to follow.

It was an unenviable task for Jasmine Paolini, who took to the field moments after Italy were knocked out of the United Cup quarter-final following Cobolli’s loss to Rinderknech.

But she handled it efficiently and defeated Leolia Jeanjean in a businesslike manner 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
While the score suggests a routine victory, Paolini had to overcome more than a few challenges to secure her first win of 2026. In addition to the dejected mood on the Team Italy bench, the world number 8 also had to endure a blistering start on Jeanjean’s serve.
Despite coming in as an underdog, Jeanjean fired six aces in her first two service games, taking a 2–1 lead. Paolini responded by completing five games in a row and claiming the opening set in 40 minutes.
She did this on the strength of her own serve, winning 80 percent of her own first-serve points in the first set. She finished the competition with an even more impressive 88 percent. On the other side of the net, Paolini broke Jeanjean to open the second set – and despite needing six match points – he never looked back.
The tie now moves to a mixed doubles match between Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Edouard Roger-Vasselin to determine the winner of the tie. With both teams already eliminated, all that’s left is bragging rights.