Cecchinato: Top 20 is Goal

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Marco Cecchinato's inspired Roland Garros run is over, but it has infused him with the confidence he can crack the Top 20.

The 72nd-ranked Italian's Cinderella run in Paris came to a halt at the hands of Dominic Thiem, who scored a 7-5, 7-6 (10), 6-1 triumph to reach his first French Open final.

Watch: Thiem Flies Into French Open Final

Though his quest to become the first Italian man to reach a major final since first since Adriano Panatta at the 1976 French Open was denied, Cecchinato believes Paris can propel him to the Top 20 and beyond.

"For me, it's a special semi at Roland Garros," Cecchinato said. "I think, for me, it's very important today because I'm playing against Dominic. So I need more work to go for the Top 10 or Top 20 so this match was very important for me.

"I need to speak with my team. I want to work more to go for the Top 20."

Arriving in Paris without a single Grand Slam match win to his credit, Cecchinato knocked off 10th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta, No. 8-seeded David Goffin and 2016 champion Novak Djokovic in succession and held set points against Thiem in the second set today.

While conceding the seventh-seeded Austrian outplayed him, Cecchinato said had he converted set point to level, it may well have been a different match.

"If I won the second set, I think it's totally different,the third set," Cecchinato said. "But after the loss, I go a little bit down mentally and physically I play so many matches. So I think it's normal."

Photo credit: Roland Garros Facebook

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