Italian Flavio Cobolli staged an impressive comeback on Monday at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open, saving three match points to defeat 13th-ranked American Tommy Paul. The 22-year-old secured a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory in the first match of the tournament, which is serving as a key warm-up for the upcoming US Open.

Cobolli showed resilience by denying Paul on break points and holding his serve in the critical 10th game of the final set. He then broke Paul's serve and held on to secure the win after two hours and six minutes of intense play. This victory marks Cobolli's first over a top-15 opponent, surpassing his previous best when he defeated 14th-ranked Ben Shelton en route to his first ATP final in Washington two weeks ago.

With this win, Cobolli has climbed to 30th in the world rankings. His next challenge in Cincinnati will be against either fellow Italian Luciano Darderi or Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.