ORTISEI, November 7, 2015

The main draw has been made for the € 64,000 Sparkassen ATP Challenger in Ortisei, taking place from 9 to 15 November. Top-seed Ricardas Berankis, one of the tournament’s two top 100-players, will take on German youngster Maximilian Marterer for the first time. Second favourite Evgeny Donskoy will face 23-year-old Italian Federico Gaio. 10 more locals feature the main draw, six of them will face each other in the opening round. Roberto Marcora will take on Erik Crepaldi, Andrea Arnaboldi will go head to head with Lorenzo Giustino and Lorenzo Sonego meets Edoardo Eremin in the battle of the wild cards.

Tournament director Wolfgang Wanker and Challenger Supervisor Riccardo Ragazzini (photo: Marco Wanker)

“At least three of the Italians will make it to the second round,” told tournament director Wolfgang Wanker on Saturday. Third seed Rajeev Ram, who lifted the trophy in Ortisei in 2011, will clash with a qualifier to open his title quest. The tournament’s number four Dustin Brown, who reaches the quarterfinals this week in Eckental, will take on Aldin Setkic for the second time on the tour. In the only previous meeting the 27-year-old Bosnian emerged victorious, winning in straight sets at the qualifying in Kitzbühel 2013.

The qualification in Ortisei has already started on Saturday. The only seeded player in action, eighth favourite Pascal Meis was knocked out by Australian world number 1328 Carsten Ball, who is playing is first singles event since Lexington Challenger in July, losing two tie-breaks in one hour and 24 minutes.

Adelchi Virgili rallied back from being 0-3 down in the opening set, celebrating a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Matteo Marfia in one hour and 12 minutes to set a meeting with second favourite Marco Bortolotti next.

Adelchi Virgili (photo: Marco Wanker)