Cobolli Retires Against Berrettini in Vienna

Flavio Cobolli retired from his Vienna Open match against Matteo Berrettini while trailing 5-2 in the first set, giving Berrettini the victory after seven games. The Italian pair, childhood friends and first-time opponents on the ATP Tour, were playing for a place in the tournament’s semifinals when Cobolli stopped because he felt continuing would push his physical problem too far. Cobolli became tearful on court as Berrettini came over to console him. In an Instagram message afterward, Cobolli said he had felt something during an earlier match but decided to try playing in Vienna. He said his tears reflected emotion, stress and disappointment, rather than pain. Cobolli did not identify the cause of the problem. He said he planned to undergo further tests and promised an update afterward. He also expressed hope that he would be able to play at the Paris Masters, scheduled to begin October 31. That was an aim, not confirmation that he would be fit to compete. Berrettini said he felt sorry for his friend and understood the difficulty of stopping because of an injury, drawing on his own experience with injuries. He recalled their shared history growing up in Rome and said he was...