TURIN, April 19, 2016
Top-seeds Rogerio Dutra Silva and Thomas Fabbiano tumbled out of the first round of the €42,500 Torino Challenger on Tuesday.
Matteo Donati (photo: Sergio Errigo)
The tournament’s number one Dutra Silva was beaten 7-6, 6-4 by Blaz Rola for the first time in the pair’s third tour meeting. The 25-year-old Slovenian saved two of the five break points he faced, converting four of his own to prevail in one hour and 56 minutes. Rola will take on Matteo Donati next, who eased past Joris De Loore 6-1, 6-2 in only 56 minutes.
Second seed Fabbiano was beaten by fellow-Italian Edoardo Eremin 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. The 22-year-old Cassine resident fired 10 aces, winning 73% of his first service points to advance after two hours and 22 minutes.
“This was the most important win in my career,” told Eremin, who entered the tournament with a wild card. “It confirms my good form at the moment. I played well in Napoli and Barletta the last two weeks. Here it is even more nice to win, as I can play in front of my home crowd. My mother Paola was in the stands. I dedicate my success to her, as she always supported me.”
Eremin will play Uladzimir Ignatik in the second round, who benefited from the retirement of Alessandro Giannessi with an upper leg injury, leading 5-3.
Qualifier Nikola Mektic took out fifth seed Andrej Martin, winning 6-0 , 6-2. The world number 290 from Croatia won 64 of the total 100 points played to set up a meeting with Lasjo Djere, who outlasted Jurgen Zopp 7-5, 6-2.
Enrique López-Pérez knocked off seventh favourite Luca Vanni 6-3 ,6-4. The 24-year-old Spaniard capitalized on five of his eigth break point opportunities to seal victory in one hour and 23 minutes. López-Pérez will face Gianluca Naso next.
Sixth seed Igor Sijsling fell to Vincent Millot 6-3, 7-5 in 63 minutes. The 30-year-old Frenchman claimed his second victory over the Dutch in as many tour meetings. He will play Hans Podlipnik-Castillo in the second round.
The only seed surviving on Tuesday was Gastao Elias. The tournament’s number three from Portugal overcame Matthias Bachinger, winning 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 in two hours and 22 minutes. Elias set an all-Portuguese-affair with Pedro Sousa next.
