PARMA, May 15, 2021 (by Lorenzo Carini)
The first edition of the Emilia-Romagna Open is underway. The WTA 250 event, taking place at the Tennis Club Parma, started on Saturday morning with the first round of the qualifying matches. The tournament will be played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 situation in Italy, but all the members of the club can watch the best players of the world in action, including the Williams sisters and rising star Coco Gauff.
Serena Williams has arrived in Parma 🇮🇹 – out on court for first practice.
🎥 : @LolloCarini00 pic.twitter.com/9qalgKtcFI
— TennisTourTalk (@TennisTourTalk) May 15, 2021
Italian wild cards “on fire”
Lisa Pigato, who was born in Milan in 2003 and still playing both Juniors (she’ll play at Roland Garros in June) as well as Pro tournaments, received a wild card to compete in the qualifying. Coached by her father Ugo and former Top 750 ATP-player Giacomo Oradini, the Milano Tennis Academy player lost the first set 6-1 against 10th seed Leonie Kung. After saving one match point at 4-5 in the second set, the 17-year-old won nine games in a row to end the match 1-6, 7-5, 6-0 after two hours and three minutes.
Altra rimonta azzurra! Lisa #Pigato supera Leonie #Kung (153 WTA) per 1-6 7-5 6-0 dopo aver annullato anche un match point nel secondo set🤪🤩#WTA #Parma @TennisTourTalk pic.twitter.com/3fd1yCOYbB
— Lorenzo Carini (@LolloCarini00) May 15, 2021
World No. 285 Lucia Bronzetti is living one of the best moments of her career, as she reached the final at the ITF World Tennis Tour W60 event in Bellinzona and the quarter-finals in Oeiras in recent weeks. Drawn against No. 5 seed Yafan Wang of China, the Italian lost the first set 3-6 but continued to play a very solid and aggressive tennis that permits her to level the score by winning the second set 6-3. Bronzetti eventually secured a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory after two hours and 15 minutes.
Many changes: Bogdan & Gatto-Monticone in the main draw
Ana Bogdan, top seed of the qualifying and scheduled to play Varvara Flink, was moved to the main draw ahead of the start of the competition together with Giulia Gatto-Monticone. The Italian, coached by Tommaso Iozzo, took the “free” wild card as Jasmine Paolini had the opportunity to get into the main draw thanks to her WTA Ranking. Paula Ormaechea and Anna Danilina entered the qualifying as alternates on-site. Ormaechea won in three sets over Flink 6-7, 7-5, 6-4. Danilina lost in straight sets to Rebecca Marino.
SINGLES Q1 – RESULTS
[Alt] Paula Ormaechea (ARG) d. Varvara Flink (RUS) 6-7(1) 7-5 6-4
[8] Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. [WC] Stefania Rubini (ITA) 6-4 0-6 6-4
[2] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) d. Ellen Perez (AUS) 6-2 6-2
[WC] Lisa Pigato (ITA) d. [10] Leonie Kung (SUI) 1-6 7-5 6-0
[3] Catherine McNally (USA) d. Jessica Pieri (ITA) 6-2 7-6(0)
[7] Katarina Zavatska (UKR) d. [WC] Nuria Brancaccio (ITA) 7-6(6) 7-6(6)
[4] Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) d. Asia Muhammad (USA) 6-2 6-0
[12] Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) d. Julia Grabher (AUT) 7-5 6-3
[WC] Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) d. [5] Yafan Wang (CHN) 3-6 6-3 6-3
Martina Di Giuseppe (ITA) d. [9] Katarzyna Kawa (POL) 4-6 6-4 6-4
[6] Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) d. Bianca Turati (ITA) 6-2 6-2
Rebecca Marino (CAN) d. [Alt] Anna Danilina (KAZ) 6-3 6-1
SINGLES Q2 – MATCHES
[Alt] Paula Ormaechea (ARG) vs [8] Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
[2] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) vs [WC] Lisa Pigato (ITA)
[3] Catherine McNally (USA) vs [7] Katarina Zavatska (UKR)
[4] Anna-Lena-Friedsam (GER) vs [12] Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove (NED)
[WC] Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) vs Martina Di Giuseppe (ITA)
[6] Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) vs Rebecca Marino (CAN)
