MAIA/STARNBERG, November 29, 2024
Henrique Rocha‘s journey in the Maia Open ended in the quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger Tour event, cutting short his bid to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite his promising performance, the 20-year-old Portuguese was defeated by Slovakian Andrej Martin in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3 on Friday. Rocha struggled particularly with his serve, winning only 46 per cent of points on his first serve and 42 per cent on his second, allowing Martin to capitalize and secure his victory.
O sonho de Henrique Rocha passa a estar dependente de terceiros.
Derrota por 7-5 e 6-3 para Andrej Martin nos quartos de final do #MaiaOpen significa que precisa de três desistências para entrar no Next Gen ATP Finals. Assim já acho improvável. pic.twitter.com/fXoE2YQLeE
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) November 29, 2024
“The start of the first set was important,” said Rocha. “I had the upper hand but felt I dropped my intensity, and that was the turning point because he gained some life when I felt he was down, more tired, and with fewer solutions.”
Rocha’s aspirations to participate in the prestigious Next Gen ATP Finals ended with his loss. Finishing 11th in the qualifying race for the tournament, he would need several withdrawals to secure even an alternate spot.
“For now, I’ll have a week of rest where I’ll only do physical training, and then I’ll have two to three weeks of preseason to start the new year in Australia. The two main goals this year were to go to the Next Gen ATP Finals and finish in the top 150, but unfortunately, I didn’t achieve either,” the World No. 173 said.
Meanwhile, the singles semifinals feature high-caliber matches, including a clash between Federico Coria of Argentina and Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina, both former top 50 players, vying for a spot in the Australian Open’s main draw. The other semifinal pits Martin against Italy’s rising star Francesco Passaro, who seeks his first top 100 ranking.
