France’s Arthur Rinderknech saved two match points to stun Flavio Cobolli and eliminate Italy from United Cup quarter-final contention Tuesday in Perth.
The result ensures that Argentina will finish as the Perth group runner-up with the best record. Wednesday’s quarter-finals will see defending champion United States play Greece in the morning and Argentina play Switzerland in the evening session.
After saving two match points on serve at 5-6 in the second set, Rinderknech rallied from a break down in the third set to close out a courageous 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-5 win in three hours and 21 minutes.
“I don’t know if it was seriously good, but it was seriously tough, that’s for sure,” the top-ranked Frenchman said. “He’s powerful and he made me play a lot of balls. I was able to find a way somehow like Stan found a way against me three days ago. Both matches [went deep] in the third, so I guess it’s good preparation for the Australian Open."
Rinderknech survived 14 Cobolli forehand winners in the second set, when he came from within a point of going down a set and 1-5. He trailed 2-4 in the third before digging deep to win five of the last six games, finishing with 13 aces and saving seven of 11 break points faced.
“[Near the end] I relaxed a little more when my back was against the wall,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything else but try to the last shot. I’ll talk to my coach Lucas and I’m sure we can take something positive out of it.”
Rinderknech finished 2025 as the No. 1 Frenchman and within the Top 30 for the first time in his career. He is now at a career-high mark of No. 27.
Although both Italy and France have been eliminated from quarter-final contention, play continues inside RAC Arena with Jasmine Paolini taking on Leolia Jeanjean, with mixed doubles to follow.
It was an unenviable task for Jasmine Paolini, stepping on court just moments after Italy was eliminated from quarter-final contention at the United Cup following Cobolli’s loss to Rinderknech.
But she handled it with efficiency, defeating Leolia Jeanjean in businesslike fashion, 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
While the scoreline suggests a routine win, Paolini had to navigate more than a few challenges to secure her first victory of 2026. Beyond the dejected mood on the Team Italy bench, the World No. 8 also had to withstand a blistering start on serve by Jeanjean.
Despite entering as the underdog, Jeanjean fired six aces in her first two service games to take a 2-1 lead. Paolini responded by reeling off five straight games to claim the opening set in 40 minutes.
She did so behind the strength of her own serve, winning 80 per cent of her own first-serve points in the first set. She finished the match at an even more impressive 88 per cent. On the other side of the net, Paolini broke Jeanjean to open the second set - and despite needing six match points - never looked back.
Even with Italy eliminated before she took the court, Paolini maintained her trademark positivity postmatch.
“We couldn’t get through the group, but we did our best,” Paolini said. “We fought until the last ball and there’s still mixed doubles, so we’re going to be there to cheer for them. Sometimes it’s sport, but we have to keep going, [keep] fighting, because that’s the right way to finish this competition.”
With both teams already eliminated and only bragging rights remaining, Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-6(6), 7-6(6) to clinch the tie.
