MANERBIO, August 29, 2015

No surprises at the € 42,500 Manerbio Challenger on Saturday, as the two top-seeds will clash in Sunday’s final.

The tournament’s number one Daniel Muῆoz de la Nava benefited from the retirement of eighth seed Filippo Volandri, leading 6-3, 2-0. The 33-year-old Italian gave up after 48 minutes due to shoulder injury. “It bothered me the entire week,” Volandri told afterwards. Muῆoz de la Nava advanced to his third final of the season, winning two titles in Moscow and Napoli.

Daniel Munoz de la Nava (photo: Felice Calabro)

The Spanish veteran will face Andrey Kuznetsov for the fourth time. The second seeded Russian defeated Lorenzo Giustino, winning 6-1, 6-4. Kuznetsov fired six aces, won 92% of his first service points and capitalized on three of his seven break points to close the match after one hour and five minutes.

The world number 118 from Tula emerged victorious from all of the three previous meetings with Muῆoz de la Nava, but always had to go the distance. All of the encounters took place in 2012 on clay. Kuznetsov eyes on winning his first title since lifting the Challenger trophy in Ostrava last year.

Kuznetsov and Giustino shaking Hands after the match (photo: Felice Calabro)

Later the day, Muῆoz de la Nava captured the doubles title alongside his partner Flavio Cipolla. The Spanish-Italian-combination beat the German tandem of Gero Kretschmar and Alexander Satschko, winning 7-6, 3-6, 11-9 in one hour and 45 minutes.

Manberbio’s doubles Champions: Daniel Munoz de la Nava and Flavio Cipolla (photo: Felice Calabro)