SASSUOLO/STARNBERG, June 22, 2024
Daniel Altmaier of Germany and Dutchman Jesper De Jong will face off in the final of the third edition of the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup on Saturday. The ATP Challenger Tour tournament, organized by Master Group Sport in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region, culminates after a week of spectacular tennis on the courts as well as in the stands at the Sporting Club in Sassuolo, Italy.
Altmaier wins marathon match
No. 4 seed Altmaier prevailed 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3) over top seed Federico Coria from Argentina in the stage of the last four on Friday. The match took place in scorching temperatures but it did not affect the performance of the two athletes, who both competed in long rallies from the baseline. Altmaier, a representative of the now rare one-handed backhand school, thrilled the audience with some outstanding shots.
On the other hand, Coria, as usual, did not give an inch to his opponent. The match was balanced, with the first set going to the Argentine in a tie-break. The second set started with a break from Altmaier, who never looked back, finishing 6-4, leading to the most dramatic and fair conclusion: the third and deciding set. Altmaier secured the victory in the tie-break 7-3 after three hours and 24 minutes.
Two match points saved 💥@daniel_altmaier prevails against Coria, reaching the final in Sassuolo after an epic 3-set battle!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/EfSUIxKxXr
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 21, 2024
De Jong continues good run of form
De Jong, who defeated defending champion Alexandre Muller in the first round, came back from a set down in the semi-final against the more experienced Slovak Martin Klizan. With a solid game , De Jong made the most of his explosive first serve to overwhelm Klizan, who appeared a bit tired, having been on the court since the first round of the qualifiers.
“I’m very happy,” said the 24-year-old from Haarlem after the match. “Everything here is wonderful, the club, the organization. Being in Italy is always nice. Now I’m going to rest, watch the Netherlands play in the European Championships tonight, and give my all tomorrow. This is my first final in a 125 tournament, and I want to make the most of it. My goal by the end of the season is to break into the top 100 in the rankings.”
