CURITIBA/STARNBERG, October 26, 2024
Two home favourites have secured their spots in the semi-finals of the Copa Internacional de Tenis presented by Santander, an ATP Challenger Tour 100 clay-court event offering a prize pool of $133,000 and being held at the Graciosa Country Club in Curitiba, Brazil.
In a thrilling all-Brazilian quarterfinal match on Friday, Gustavo Heide, currently ranked World No. 177, faced his friend and training partner Mateus Alves in a tight contest that lasted two hours and 38 minutes. Heide won 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 and will now face Portugal’s Jaime Faria for a spot in the final. Reflecting on the upcoming match, Heide said, “He is a guy who’s been playing well, part of the new Portuguese generation. We played in Portugal, and he won. Now, it’s here in Brazil, and I hope to get a good result. The crowd makes a difference.”
World No. 144 Faria advanced by defeating fellow Portuguese player Gastao Elias. At 21, Faria is seen as one of the rising stars of Portuguese tennis, benefiting from the comprehensive development program of the Portuguese Tennis Federation. Faria acknowledged the support, saying, “The Federation’s work is excellent. They provide support in all areas, from organizing tournaments to facilitating travel with coaches.”
Felipe Meligeni Alves also captivated the crowd with a gripping quarterfinal against Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga. Meligeni dominated the first set 6-0, but Burruchaga rebounded to take the second set 6-4. In the final set, Meligeni regained control to close the match at 6-1. “It was crazy today, a marathon. I’m very happy, it’s my first semifinal in a while and in such a big tournament,” Meligeni said, while looking forward to facing Juan Manuel Cerundolo next.
That volley
Felipe Meligeni Alves advances to the quarterfinals in Curitiba clinching a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Habib#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/rcPTYbN677
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 25, 2024
Cerundolo, a former top 100 player, overcame Ecuador’s Alvaro Guillen Meza 6-3, 6-4. Looking ahead to his match against Meligeni, Cerundolo acknowledged the challenge of playing in front of a home crowd, saying, “The fans will bring a different energy to the court tomorrow. It will be a great match.”
The semi-finals of the Curitiba Challenger are scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 PM local time at Graciosa Country Club, with free entry for spectators.
