PARMA/STARNBERG, June 18, 2026
The fifth edition of the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup is reaching its decisive stages at the Circolo del Castellazzo in Parma, where the ATP Challenger 125 event continues this week on the club’s clay courts. Organized by Master Group Sport in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region, the tournament has already produced a series of high-quality matches despite the challenging summer temperatures.
One of the standout performers on Wednesday was former World No. 16 Marco Cecchinato, who advanced to the quarterfinals with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow Italian Federico Bondioli. The Sicilian controlled the match from start to finish, breaking early in both sets and never allowing his opponent to find a rhythm.
“I played well, solid and focused,” Cecchinato said after the match. “I knew it would be difficult to return his left-handed serve, so I was ready to take every break opportunity that came my way. I stayed sharp from the very first points and I really liked the way I played. Now I’ll relax a bit. Here at Castellazzo there are wonderful horses at the riding center, which is one of my great passions. It’s the perfect way to switch off after a match before starting to prepare for the next one.”
Elsewhere, Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena was pushed to the limit by Italy’s Stefano Travaglia before prevailing 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 in a hard-fought battle. Taiwan’s Chun-Hsin Tseng booked his place in the last eight with a 6-2, 7-6(1) win over qualifier Oriol Roca Batalla, while Serbia’s Laslo Djere continued his impressive run by rallying past US-American Ryan Seggerman 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4). Djere had already eliminated top seed Jesper de Jong in the opening round.
Second seed Luca Van Assche also progressed comfortably, defeating Colombia’s Daniel Galan 6-1, 6-3. Austria’s fourth seed Sebastian Ofner joined him in the quarterfinals after a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Enrico Dalla Valle.
Too hot to handle 🔥
The second seed barely put a foot wrong, dismantling Galan 6-1, 6-3 to book his place in the last eight 😤#ATPChallenger | 🇮🇹 Parma | @lucavanassche pic.twitter.com/DNEB7Htyat
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 17, 2026
One of the most talked-about players of the week has been 18-year-old Italian Jacopo Vasami, considered one of the brightest prospects in Italian tennis. The Rome native impressed fans on Tuesday evening with a confident 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Ilia Simakin, showcasing a powerful serve and aggressive forehand. Vasami struck eight aces and controlled most of the encounter despite a brief lapse in concentration that earned him a warning from the chair umpire.
Less than 20 hours later, however, he was back on court for his round-of-16 clash against Belgium’s Buvaysar Gadamauri, who had already made headlines by knocking out third seed Damir Dzumhur earlier in the tournament. In front of a packed crowd on Court 1, Vasami appeared to feel the effects of his previous night’s effort. Gadamauri’s one-handed backhand repeatedly troubled the young Italian, helping the Belgian secure a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory and a place in the quarterfinals.
Although his tournament came to an end, Vasami left Parma with the admiration of the local crowd and further evidence that a bright future lies ahead.
In the final remaining round-of-16 match Spain’s Daniel Rincon benefited from the retirement of Stefano Napolitano. The Italian was forced to stop playing when Rincon was leading 6-2, 3-1.
