Cobolli halts Jodar to reach Cincinnati quarterfinals

Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli laboured two and a half hours to engineer a turnaround, finally overhauling red-hot Spaniard Rafael Jodar 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 to reach the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters quarterfinals.

Cobolli advanced before rain halted afternoon play with top-seeded French Open champion Alexander Zverev having taken the first set against American Tommy Paul.

Cobolli has won all three of his matches in Cincinnati in three sets.

The durable Italian's victory preventing 19-year-old Jodar from reaching an eighth quarterfinal in nine events. Cobelli is into his second Masters-level quarterfinal this season after Madrid.

Seventh-seeded Cobolli fought through to level at a set apiece and broke Jodar for 4-2 in the third. He sent down a winning smash on his second match point three games later.

The pair combined for nearly 100 unforced errors in the big-hitting battle.

"At the end of the second set and start of the third I told myself to believe, try on every point," Cobolli said. "I knew I had a chance.

"Rafa has had an unbelievable season but maybe he was a bit tired. At the end I deserved to win as I was fresher than him.

"I pushed to my limit to get through. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm really strong."

Thiago Tirante, who upset Novak Djokovic in the second round, continued his surprise run at the last big event prior to the August 30 start of the US Open.

He recovered to defeat Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 and book his first Masters quarterfinal.

The South American ranked 50th won his eighth match of the season over a top 20 opponent.