Cobolli pushed Zverev to a 5th set in French Open final, then his body gave out

His calf muscles and thighs hit by cramp, Flavio Cobolli’s body could no longer respond in the fifth set of the French Open final. A first-time Grand Slam finalist, the 24-year-old Italian looked on the verge of a major upset on Sunday before losing in five sets — 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 — to second-seeded Alexander Zverev, who claimed his first major title on the Parisian red clay. Renowned for his exceptional athleticism, Cobolli hit Zverev hard with his big forehand and, although he committed a lot of unforced errors — 65 — his high-risk approach pushed his German opponent deep into the match and into a fifth set.

By Jason Griffith for PeeDeeWire

Yahoo Sports reports: His calf muscles and thighs hit by cramp, Flavio Cobolli’s body could no longer respond in the fifth set of the French Open final. A first-time Grand Slam finalist, the 24-year-old Italian looked on the verge of a major upset on Sunday before losing in five sets — 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 — to second-seeded Alexander Zverev, who claimed his first major title on the Parisian red clay. Renowned for his exceptional athleticism, Cobolli hit Zverev hard with his big forehand and, although he committed a lot of unforced errors — 65 — his high-risk approach pushed his German opponent deep into the match and into a fifth set.