Giacomini makes it to the main draw
The number of Italian players in the draw at the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena Südtirol has risen to eight. On Monday afternoon Luca Giacomini made it through the qualifying round thanks to a fine 7:5, 6:3 victory over Ryuki Matsuda of Japan. The 25-year-old from Padua after Hady Habib overcame another player ahead of him in the rankings, securing three ATP points and a first round match on Wednesday against Louis Wessels (Germany). Giacomini, down 3:5 in the first set, had called the physio at the change of court at 4:5 then the match turned in his favour. For Giacomini it will be the second time in the draw in Ortisei after 2018. Then he was defeated in the first round by a very young Jannik Sinner.
Andrea Picchione, on the other hand, did not manage to overturn the prognostication. Despite a great performance the 25-year-old lost to Slovakian Lukas Klein, world number 181 and finalist in Ortisei twelve months ago, with the score of 7:6 (9), 4:6, 6:2. Picchione in the tiebreak of the first set was ahead 6:3 and had five setpoints and in the third was ahead thanks to a break in the third game. The adventure of Stefano D'Agostino from Arco, 20 years old next 3 November, and competing thanks to a wildcard from the federation, also ended. After his comeback victory against Alec Deckers on Sunday evening, this afternoon he was beaten by the other Dutchman Ryan Nijboer 6:4, 6:7 (5), 6:2, but once again he offered a high level performance, coming close to another feat after a battle that lasted two hours and 40 minutes. In addition to Giacomini, Klein and Nijboer, Hynek Barton (Czech Republic), Estonian Daniil Glinka and Bosnian Mirza Basic, a semi-finalist in Ortisei in 2021, also gained a pass for the main draw.
Tuesday is a busy day in Ortisei: Starting at 10 a.m., ten first-round matches and the first two doubles matches are scheduled. Three Italians will be in action on the centre court. Stefano Napolitano, winner of the Gardena tournament in 2016, will face Britain's Billy Harris. Federico Gaio will take on Austria's Maximilian Neuchrist and Francesco Forti will face Slovakia's Norbert Gombos, 33 years old and world number 80 in 2017, not before 6pm.
