Maestrelli and Onclin lose in Gardena-Gröden
The 14th edition of the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena South Tyrol officially opened on Monday evening with three matches in the main draw. Already on the first day, three seeded players were in action. Francesco Maestrelli was one of the favourites, but the No. 4 seed missed two match points on his opponent's serve at 6:5 in the second set and lost 6:4, 6:7 (4) and 1:6 in the evening match against Swiss Antoine Bellier.
Maestrelli had reached the semi-finals at the Challenger in Szczecin in Poland in mid-September, but had lost four times in the first round since then. After defeats in Sibiu, Braga, Alicante and last week in Olbia, the 20-year-old from Pisa looked like the winner for a long time today. He had not allowed a break point in the first two sets, but in the third he gave up his service twice. Bellier will meet a qualifier in the last 16. Either Ryan Nijboer or Daniil Glinka.
The number 2 has also already said goodbye to Gardena-Gröden. Belgian Gauthier Onclin was at a loss against Maks Kasnikowsi from Poland and lost 1:6, 4:6. Kasnikowski fended off the only break point in the third game of the first set and only gave up five points on his service in the second set. Number 5 Mark Lajal from Estonia showed a strong performance. He beat Kacper Zuk from Poland 6:3, 6:4 in just 86 minutes.
