PADOVA, June 30, 2015
Second seed and defending champion Maximo Gonzalez made an unsuccessful return to the € 42,500 ATP Challenger in Padova, losing in the opening round on Tuesday to Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo.
The 37-year-old Spanish veteran knocked out the Argentine after three hours and five minutes, which was based on all of his experience, winning 74% of his first service points and firing five aces. Ramirez-Hidalgo will play Hugo Dellien next. The Bolivian qualifier defeated Thomas Fabbiano 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 43 minutes.
Another Argentine and fifth seed Facundo Arguello also crashed out in the opening round. The world number 142 from Córdoba lost to Filippo Volandri 0-6, 3-6. The Italian didn’t face a break point and closed the match in 70 minutes to take on fellow countryman Federico Gaio, who beat Jordi Samper-Montana 6-4, 7-6 in two hours and seven minutes.
Andrey Rublev (photo: Lodovica Barbiero)
After returning from the grass in Wimbledon, Russian teenage-sensation Andrey Rublev suffered a first round defeat on the clay, losing to Alessandro Giannessi 6-3, 2-6, 4-6. The Italian qualifier capitalized on five of his 12 break points, winning in two hours and nine minutes.
“I am very happy. The attitude was good, which was the important thing,” Giannessi told. “I am feeling really good on court at the moment, but this can change any moment, so we have to continue working hard.”
Alessandro Giannessi upset Andrey Rublev in the opening round (photo: Lodovica Barbiero)
Giannessi will face Riccardo Bellotti next, who took out sixth seed Roberto Carballés-Baena, leading 6-4, 4-2 before the Spaniard was forced to retired after 70 minutes due to injury.
Third seed Marco Cecchinato emerged victorious from the all-Italian-affair, beating Stefano Napolitano 6-4, 6-2. The world number 117 from Palermo won 93% of his first service points to prevail after 67 minutes.
Cecchinato’s second round opponent will be Duck Hee Lee. The only 17-year-old Korean, who was born deaf has already claimed three ITF Future titles this season, hit seven aces to defeat Nicolas Kicker, winning 6-1, 6-2 in 63 minutes.
Duck Hee Lee (photo: Lodovica Barbiero)
(Duck Hee Lee playing in Padova 2015, source: YouTube, youtennis.net)
On Monday, Padova’s top-seed Alejandro Gonzalez beat Pedro Sousa in straight sets, winning 7-5, 6-1 in 65 minutes. He will be joined in the second round by the tournament’s number four Albert Montaῆes, who defeated Christian Lindell 7-5, 6-3 as well as seventh seed Hans Podlipnik-Castillo, who prevailed through a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over Stefano Travaglia.
