ORTISEI, November 12, 2019
The 10th edition of the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena Südtirol kicked off on Monday with two Italian teenagers in action. 17-year-old Lorenzo Musetti booked his spot in the second round of the €46,600 ATP Challenger indoor hard-court event with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Benjamin Hassan of Germany.
Musetti, the 2019 Australian Open boys’ singles, capitalized on four of his eight break point chances to prevail after one hour and five minutes. Up next for the wild card entry will be No. 4 seed Gianluca Mager of Italy.
Later in the day, Guilio Zeppieri emerged victorious from the all-Italian affair with Erwin Troebinger. The 17-year-old Rome native sent down 10 aces and didn’t face a break point to secure a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 victory in only 37 minutes. Zeppieri will next take on compatriot and No. 13 seed Roberto Marcora.
Sinner returns to South Tyrol
Reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated Australian Alex de Minaur in the title match in Milan on Sunday, has arrived in Ortisei to play his last tournament of the season. The teen sensation from South Tyrol is seeded on position two and will open his title bid on Wednesday against Austria’s Lucas Miedler, who defeated Italian Gian Marco Moroni in the first round 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-2 in one hour and 42 minutes.
Sinnermania about to start in Ortisei. The reigning @nextgenfinals champion has arrived in South Tyrol!
First singles match on Wednesday against Lucas Miedler.
📸: @tennisortisei pic.twitter.com/LK0fZEjSYD
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) November 12, 2019
“It’s not going to be easy here,” Sinner said ahead of his first match on home soil. The 18-year-old from Sexten won both of the previous meetings with Miedler in Orleans, France two months ago, as well as en-route to his maiden ATP Challenger triumph in Bergamo earlier this season.
Stefano Travaglia, the tournament’s top seed, will start his Val Gardena campaign against fellow Italian Andrea Pellegrino, who ousted Matteo Viola 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 14 minutes.
