Flavio Cobolli defeated Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 6-3, in the Munich semi-finals.
In doing so, he set up a mouth-watering final with Ben Shelton, who beat Alex Molcan in the second semi-final.
What is the one tennis result you would like to change?
Plenty to pick from!
After securing the win over the Slovak, Shelton delivered his verdict on Cobolli and the level he displayed earlier in the day.
Ben Shelton believes Flavio Cobolli’s performance vs Alexander Zverev was the ‘best’ he’s seen from him
Shelton was asked about Cobolli during his post-match interview.
“Flavio [Cobolli] is playing great tennis as you saw in the match earlier today against Sascha [Zverev],” said Shelton.
“The best I’ve seen him play.
Flavio Cobolli vs Alexander Zverev – Match stats
| Stats | Flavio Cobolli | Alexander Zverev |
| Aces | 7 | 0 |
| Double faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% | 78% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 75% | 63% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 63% | 33% |
| Break points | 4/5 | 1/2 |
“I’m really looking forward to that match.
“We’ve played a lot of times, a lot of tight matches!
Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2026 Munich – F | – | – | – |
| 2025 Paris Masters – 2R | Ben Shelton | Flavio Cobolli | 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2025 Canadian Open – 4R | Ben Shelton | Flavio Cobolli | 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 |
| 2025 Mexican Open – 1R | Ben Shelton | Flavio Cobolli | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2024 Washington Open – SF | Flavio Cobolli | Ben Shelton | 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 2024 Geneva Open – 2R | Flavio Cobolli | Ben Shelton | 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 |
“I think it should be another great battle tomorrow.
“I hope you guys have tickets to come back, I’m really looking forward to the finals and hope to see you all here.”
Shelton lost his first two career meetings with Cobolli, but has since won three in a row to lead their head-to-head, 3-2.
They will fight for the Munich title and 500 ranking points in their sixth career meeting.
500 ranking points that could mean a lot to both players…
What a Munich title would mean for Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli
If Shelton were to beat Cobolli in the final, he would overtake Novak Djokovic in the ‘Live ATP Race to Turin’.
The American made his ATP Finals debut last November, but lost all three group-stage matches.
Ben Shelton at the 2025 ATP Finals
- 2025 ATP Finals [LOSS] vs Alexander Zverev, 3-6, 6-7
- 2025 ATP Finals [LOSS] vs Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 6-7, 5-7
- 2025 ATP Finals [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 6-7
Determined to prove himself against the very best players in men’s tennis, Shelton will want to secure his spot in Turin as soon as possible.
On the other hand, a win for Cobolli could move him into the top eight.
Cobolli has yet to qualify for the ATP Finals, but would surely love a chance to compete in front of his home fans.
Live ATP Race to Turin
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | Points with next win |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Italy | 3,900 | – |
| 2 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain | 3,650 | — |
| 3 | Alexander Zverev | Germany | 2,290 | – |
| 4 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia | 1,710 | – |
| 5 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia | 1,400 | – |
| 6 | Ben Shelton | USA | 1,390 | 1,560 (+1) |
| 7 | Alex de Minaur | Australia | 1,295 | – |
| 8 | Arthur Fils | France | 1,180 | 1,310 (+1) |
| 9 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada | 1,165 | – |
| 10 | Flavio Cobolli | Italy | 1,070 | 1,240 (+2) |
Only time will tell what the future holds for Shelton and Cobolli, but you certainly won’t want to miss the final in Munich.
Shelton and Cobolli will battle it out for the title on Sunday, April 19.
Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli’s record in finals
Ben Shelton’s record in ATP finals (4-2)
- 2023 Japan Open [WIN] vs Aslan Karatsev (ATP 500)
- 2024 Houston Open [WIN] vs Frances Tiafoe (ATP 250)
- 2024 Swiss Indoors [LOSS] vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ATP 500)
- 2025 Munich Open [LOSS] vs Alexander Zverev (ATP 500)
- 2025 Canadian Open [WIN] vs Karen Khachanov (Masters 1000)
- 2026 Dallas Open [WIN] vs Taylor Fritz (ATP 500)
Flavio Cobolli’s record in ATP finals (3-1)
- 2024 Washington Open [LOSS] vs Sebastian Korda (ATP 500)
- 2025 Tiriac Open [WIN] vs Sebastian Baez (ATP 250)
- 2025 Hamburg Open [WIN] vs Andrey Rublev (ATP 500)
- 2026 Mexican Open [WIN] vs Frances Tiafoe (ATP 500)
