HAMBURG/STARNBERG, May 23, 2025
Flavio Cobolli and Andrey Rublev will face off in the final of the Bitpanda Hamburg Open 2025 after two dramatic semi-final victories on Friday at the historic Rothenbaum Tennis Complex.
Italy’s Cobolli staged a stunning comeback to defeat Argentine clay-court specialist Tomas Martin Etcheverry 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a marathon battle lasting two hours and 48 minutes. Later in the day, third seed Rublev delivered a commanding performance against Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach his third final in Hamburg.
The opening singles match of the day saw Cobolli struggle early against Etcheverry, who dictated play with deep, heavy groundstrokes and dominated the rallies. Ranked No. 55 in the world, Etcheverry took the first set with ease, exploiting Cobolli’s inconsistent return game.
But the World No. 35 from Florence dug deep in the second set, feeding off the energy of the vocal Hamburg crowd despite chilly conditions. With his trademark intensity and fist pumps after key points, Cobolli broke for a crucial 6-5 lead and closed out the set 7-5 to level the match.
The deciding set was a rollercoaster, with both players trading momentum. Cobolli showed remarkable mental resilience, saving two early break points that could have swung the match in Etcheverry’s favor. Steady under pressure, the 22-year-old Italian earned a decisive break at 5-4 and served out the match to reach his first ATP 500 final.
Resilient Flavio
From 6-2 3-1 down, @cobollifla outlasts Etcheverry to reach the Hamburg final – a month after winning Bucharest!
@hamburgopenatp pic.twitter.com/OznRW7qKKO— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 23, 2025
“It was a big fight. We both left a lot of energy out there,” Cobolli said afterwards. “I was nervous at the start, but I managed to settle in.”
Rublev, in contrast, showed no signs of nerves in his semi-final. The 27-year-old Russian, the 2020 Hamburg Open champion, overwhelmed Auger-Aliassime with relentless baseline pressure from the outset. Rublev raced through the first set 6-1, breaking the Canadian’s serve multiple times with precise, punishing groundstrokes.
Auger-Aliassime responded in the second set, holding serve more convincingly and forcing Rublev into tighter rallies. But at 4-4, the Canadian sent a routine backhand return just wide — a costly error that gave Rublev the break. The Russian then served out the match, sealing a 6-1, 6-4 win in 1 hour and 25 minutes.
“It’s going to be a tough final,” said Rublev, who is chasing his second Hamburg title. “Flavio’s a great guy, always funny off the court. I like his game style. Hopefully, I can get the win.”
The final will mark the first-ever ATP Tour meeting between Rublev and Cobolli, promising a fresh and fiery encounter for the Hamburg crowd.
