PERUGIA/STARNBERG, June 7, 2026
Daniel Merida and Henrique Rocha will contest the final of the 11th edition of the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia | G.I.Ma. Tennis Cup. After Rocha’s straight-sets victory over Timofey Skatov earlier in the day, the Spanish world No. 86 defeated defending champion Andrea Pellegrino 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to secure his place in the championship match of the ATP Challenger 125 event organized by MEF Tennis Events.
It took Daniel Merida two hours and 27 minutes to overcome a determined Pellegrino in a high-quality semifinal battle. After nine matches across two years in Perugia, the defending champion was finally dethroned, while his hopes of breaking into the Top 100 were postponed once again.
“We played at a very high level today,” said Merida after the match. “At times he was the better player, and at times I was. The match came down to a few key points, and I managed them a little better. I wish Andrea all the best for the rest of the season, but I’m obviously very happy to be in the final.”
The result continues an impressive run in MEF Tennis Events tournaments for the Spaniard. After reaching one final and one semifinal in the Tenerife events earlier this year, Merida has now added another championship match appearance in Perugia.
“The truth is that we feel very comfortable at these tournaments,” Merida explained. “The staff works incredibly hard to make sure players can focus entirely on tennis. That’s something we really appreciate.”
In Sunday’s final, Merida will face fellow 2004-born talent Henrique Rocha.
“I know Henrique very well because we’re the same age,” he said. “It will be another very tough match and I expect a high level of tennis. We’re both here because we want to win, and we’ve worked hard all week for this opportunity. I hope I can bring the title home.”
Rocha, seeded fourth and currently ranked world No. 119, produced one of his most complete performances of the tournament to secure a place in the seventh Challenger final of his career.
Henrique #Rocha downs Skatov and books his place in the Perugia Challenger 125 final 💪#tennis #ATPChallenger #InternazionaliPerugia pic.twitter.com/6BYFXUX6Ws
— MEF tennis events (@meftennisevents) June 6, 2026
“I’ve improved match after match here in Perugia,” Rocha said after the victory. “I’ve felt more comfortable with every round, and today I think I played my best match of the week. I’m very happy with my level.”
The Portuguese also reflected on his record in Challenger finals, which now stands at three wins and three losses.
“Honestly, I didn’t even remember it was 3-3,” Rocha admitted with a smile. “Now that I know, I’ll try to move into positive territory. Every match in tennis is different, but I definitely arrive at this final with more experience than I had in previous ones.”
