Matteo Berrettini sent his best wishes to close friend Flavio Cobolli after the Italian retired from their second-round clash at the Erste Bank Open on Thursday due to injury.

In an emotional moment, Cobolli sat on his bench in tears, trailing 2-5 in the opening set, before Berrettini approached his countryman to offer comfort. The retirement brought an abrupt end to the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, turning what had been an eagerly anticipated encounter between two friends into a difficult moment for both players.

"I am so sorry for him. I have been there many times, maybe too many times," Berrettini said. "That’s why I got emotional. I know how tough it can be.

"I know how much he wants to be in Turin and the last thing you want is to get an injury a few weeks before. Hopefully it is not going to be anything serious."

The 28-year-old also reflected on the special bond he shares with Cobolli, with their friendship dating back to their childhood days playing tennis together in Italy.

"The idea today was just to come on court and celebrate the journey that we’re both having, from Rome," Berrettini shared. "We were small kids playing tennis on the weekends. I remember him… I remember the day he chose playing tennis over football… He was this little kid dreaming about playing at the best stages and I think he deserves to be there."

Despite the defeat, Cobolli remains in contention to make his Nitto ATP Finals debut, currently sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. With seventh-placed Arthur Fils and 10th-placed Alex de Minaur also chasing a place at the season-ending championships and competing in Basel and Vienna, respectively, this week, the Italian will be hoping for a swift recovery as he looks to keep his Turin dream alive.