TODI/STARNBERG, August 12, 2026
Marco Cecchinato became the first Italian player to reach the quarterfinals of the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Todi | Sidernestor Tennis Cup with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory over Francesco Forti.
The former world No. 16 produced a composed performance in the all-Italian second-round clash against a resurgent Forti, who has set his sights on breaking into the Top 300 after finally finding consistency following his injury layoff.
Full focus 💪
Marco Cecchinato defeats Forti 6-1, 6-3 to become our first quarter-finalist in Todi#ATPChallenger | @meftennisevents pic.twitter.com/BVQfC8XvCn
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) August 12, 2026
“Compared to my first-round match, I played a great match. This time I started really well,” Cecchinato said after his victory. “I knew Forti would be a difficult opponent. He has one of the best serves on the Challenger Tour, so I was very focused from the beginning.”
Currently ranked No. 170 in the ATP Rankings, Cecchinato had set his sights on returning to the Top 100 after his opening-round victory over Hardt. His performance against Forti underlined the quality that could help him achieve that goal.
The 32-year-old also handled the brief rain interruption without losing his momentum and appeared particularly comfortable in the intense summer heat.
“Playing well in the heat? That’s one of the advantages of being from the south,” Cecchinato joked. “I’ve always played in high temperatures and I like it. I also play well in South America. I like it when the ball bounces high, and with the heat and humidity here I felt really comfortable.
“I liked the way I played today, especially from the baseline I was very solid. Whenever I got into the rallies, the key was to move him around.”
Cecchinato will face Juan Bautista Torres in Friday’s quarterfinal. The Argentine earned his place in the last eight after surviving a three-hour marathon against Italy’s Filippo Romano, winning 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3). A tense deciding set kept the large crowd on the edge of their seats on the Grandstand at Tennis Club Todi 1971, which is hosting the ATP Challenger 75 organised by MEF Tennis Events through Sunday, August 16.
