TURIN/STARNBERG, May 16, 2024

Luciano Darderi of Italy has booked his spot in the second round of the Piemonte Open Intesa Sanpaolo. The No. 5 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Turin defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday.

Darderi, who captured his maiden tour-level crown in Cordoba this year, broke his rival five times to succeed in one hour and 29 minutes.

🗣️ LUCIO

No.5 seed Luciano Darderi kicks off with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ugo Carabelli in Turin#ATPChallenger | @federtennis pic.twitter.com/55EGyAzuHQ

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 16, 2024

“The first match of a tournament is always complicated, especially after a few rainy days like the ones we’ve had,” said Darderi. “It was a tough battle, and I’m happy with how I managed it. Given the rather slow playing conditions, I tried to vary my tactics a bit by coming to the net and using drop shots worked.

“The secret of my breakthrough? The hard work I’ve been putting in for years. The fruits of it were already visible at the end of last summer, and after the winter preparation, things have only gotten better. This tournament is important in view of Roland Garros, to earn points, gain confidence, and play as many matches as possible.”

Darderi will next take on Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler.

THURSDAY RESULTS

Singles – First Round
Luciano Darderi (Ita) b. Camilo Ugo Carabelli (Arg) 6-4 6-3
Francesco Maestrelli (Ita) b. Mattia Bellucci (Ita) 6-4 6-2
Fernando Meligeni Alves (Bra) b. Thiago Tirante (Arg) 4-6 6-3 6-1
Fabio Fognini (Ita) b. Giulio Zeppieri (Ita) 6-2 6-3
Marc-Andrea Huesler (Sui) b. Corentin Moutet (Fra) 7-6 3-6 6-2
Brendon Nakashima (Usa) b. Yoshihito Nishioka (Jpn) 6-4 4-3 ret.
Francesco Passaro (Ita) b. Daniel Elahi Galan (Col) 6-2 6-7 6-2