CORDENONS, August 17, 2015

In 1978 Edi Raffin founded the Eurotennis Club in Cordenons but after a few years he realized that the structure was no longer enough, and so an even bigger project was born: the Eurosporting. A project that ran with fatherly love and where he spent every moment of his time, knowing he created something great: one of the most advanced and modern sports centre in Italy. Thirteen tennis courts, eight of which are synthetic and all embraced in one indoor structure and five red clay with a centre court with over 2,500 seats as well as a water park, a fitness centre with sauna and Turkish bath.

This is an ideal home for an ATP Challenger event, which was born in 2004. In April 2013, Edi Raffin died of a heart attack while he was cutting his lawn of his garden, but from then on his daughter Serena has carried on organizing the tournament and the Centre court was named after him.

Albert Montanes beat Potito Starace in last year’s final

This year’s Intermek Tennis Cup Internazionali di Tennis del Friuli Venezia Giula with a total prize money of € 42,500 takes place from August 17 to August 23.

Top-seed and world number 55 Albert Ramos is one of two top 100 players in the draw facing qualifier in the opening round.

Second favourite Paolo Lorenzi, ranked world number 80, will take on Pedja Krstin from Serbia for the first time on the tour.

Paolo Lorenzi made it to the semi-finals in Cordenons last year

Third seed Filip Krajinovic will play Mohamed Safwat and the tournament’s number four Kenny de Schepper will face a qualifier.

Slovenian Grega Zemlja, who finished runner-up at his home tournament in Portoroz last Saturday, entered as special exempt taking on Italian wild card Omar Giacalone.

Rogerio Dutra Silva, who lifted his sixth ATP Challenger trophy in Prague last Sunday will have a first round clash with Austrian Michael Linzer. Both players will meet for the first time.