Tuesday at the French Open wasn’t just a milestone for Marco Cecchinato. It was also a historic occasion for Italian tennis.
Earlier in the year, nobody would have predicted the 25-year-old to make it all the way to the semifinal of a major tournament. Prior to this year’s French Open, Cecchinato had only played in four grand slam main draws. Losing in the first round of all of them. Nevertheless, the Italian defied the odds with back-to-back wins against Pablo Carreno Busta and David Goffin. Although his biggest breakthrough didn’t occur until he took on former world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
“I’m very, very happy,” Cecchinato said. “When I won the first match in Grand Slam, I feel good. And match by match, I feel now I can won also the next round… it’s a special moment for me.”
Taking on the 2016 champion, Cecchinato refused to let his inexperience hinder him. Producing a series of breathtaking shots that delighted the crowd. Meanwhile, Djokovic appeared to not be at his physical best as he received treatment on the court for a neck issue. Nevertheless, it was Cecchinato’s focus that got him over the finish line. Coming through a nail-biting fourth set tiebreaker. Where he failed to convert three match points before sealing the biggest win of his life.
“I think it will change my life. After Roland-Garros, I need some rest to realise the moment,” Cecchinato said. “It’s so special for me, I don’t know why now, I work very hard with my team, and I’m very focused every match. I work out every day on preparation and also in the tournament. So I think this is the key.”
Becoming the first Italian French Open semi-finalist in the men’s draw since 1978, Cecchinato has elevated himself into the media spotlight of his home country. He was also a talking point in many Italian newspapers two years ago, but for very different reasons.
In 2016 a ruling threatened to sideline and even destroy Cecchinato’s career. The Italian Tennis Federation found him guilty of a match-fixing violation at a tournament that occurred a year prior. It was alleged that he and another player (Riccardo Accardi) bet on him to lose a match. Prompting Cecchinato to be slammed with a 18-month suspension.
“It’s tough to say. Because now I need to realize the moment. I will play the semifinal in Roland Garros. It’s tough to say the emotion. It’s very tough.” Cecchinato replied when asked how his feelings compared to that of two years ago.
Despite the ruling, Cecchinato has maintained his innocence throughout and denied any wrongdoing. An appeal later reduced his suspension to 12 months after an independent tribunal concluded that he didn’t deliberately mean to fix a match. Shortly after that, the Italian Olympic Committee overturned the suspension due to ‘irregularities’ in the evidence used against Cecchinato. A lot has happened since 2016, but the incident remains a sensitive subject for the Italian.
“I told you I don’t want to speak about that (the match-fixing case). I want to think about this moment in my life.” He stated in his press conference.
Two wins away from being the first Italian male to win the Paris major since Adriano Panatta in 1976, Cecchinato’s next test will be Dominic Thiem. The Austrian defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets to seal his place in the last four of the tournament.
“Cecchinato is full of confidence, probably the most confident player out there right now.” Said Thiem. “He never won a match at a slam, and now he’s soon in the semifinals. So everything is
going easy for him. He can play completely free.”
It will be the first time they have met since the qualifying rounds of the 2014 Qatar Open, which Thiem won in three sets.
