PIRACICABA/STARNBERG, June 27, 2026
Matheus Pucinelli and Thiago Seyboth Wild booked their places in the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger 50 Copa Internacional de Tenis in Piracicaba after a demanding Friday that required each player to take the court twice.
Pucinelli was the first to secure his place in the last four. The Brazilian opened the day with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory over compatriot Paulo Saraiva in a closely contested match that lasted three sets.
The result equals Pucinelli’s best performance of the season, matching his semi-final run at the Santos Challenger. Now back to full fitness after an injury-hit start to the year, the 2022 career-high world No. 190 is aiming to reach Sunday’s final and challenge for the second ATP Challenger title of his career.
“It was a long day with two matches,” Pucinelli said. “The first one was very tough, with a lot of ups and downs. I had to stay patient, forgive myself for the mistakes and take it point by point. In the second match, the physical demands were even greater. My opponent may be short, but he covers the court extremely well and keeps you under pressure all the time. I’m very happy to be in the semi-finals, especially here in Brazil, close to home. I hope the fans come out and support me.”
Pucinelli will face Argentina’s Gonzalo Villanueva in Saturday’s semi-final after Villanueva eliminated Chile’s Matias Soto and fellow Argentine Valerio Aboian on his way to the last four.
Thiago Seyboth Wild also enjoyed a successful day as he continues his pursuit of a first ATP Challenger title on Brazilian soil. Despite already owning five Challenger trophies and an ATP Tour title, the former world No. 58 has never lifted a Challenger trophy in his home country.
Like Pucinelli, Seyboth Wild has battled injuries throughout the season, with two separate absences keeping him off the court for more than a month each time. Now back in competition, the Brazilian is eager to rebuild his ranking and return to the world’s top 100.
His first match of the day proved to be a stern test, as he edged Lucas Andrade da Silva 7-6(3), 7-6(6) in two tight tie-break sets. Wild then advanced to the semi-finals when former Top 100 player Nicolas Kicker retired while trailing 6-0, 1-0.
Sealed with an absolute rocket ☄️
Thiago Seyboth Wild gets past Andrade da Silva 7-6(3), 7-6(6) to book his spot in the quarterfinals in Piracicaba#ATPChallenger | @thiagoswild pic.twitter.com/MqirP6LA7u
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) June 26, 2026
“I was playing very well in the first match,” Seyboth Wild said. “I didn’t know Lucas before today, and I was surprised by the quality of his serve. It was a very difficult match. In the second one, I don’t really know what happened because my opponent retired, but despite the score it wasn’t an easy match. Of course, we always want to win, but not at any cost. It’s never easy to win comfortably, it’s never easy to win tough matches, and it’s certainly not easy to play well all the time.”
Seyboth Wild’s reward is a semi-final clash with second seed Juan Manuel La Serna. The Argentine also benefited from a retirement after Dominican Republic’s Nick Hardt was forced to stop while trailing 6-2, 3-0.
