VICENZA, June 3, 2017

Laslo Djere of Serbia and Hungarian Marton Fucsovics will compete in Sunday’s final of the €43,000 Internazionali Di Tennis Citta Di Vicenza held at the Circolo Tennis Palladio 98 in Vicenza.

In blistering heat on Saturday afternoon, the last seeded player standing in the singles main draw, Laslo Djere, battled past the last remaining Italian, Lorenzo Giustino, winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. The 22-year-old from Serbia won 70 per cent of his first service points and broke serve four times to prevail in two hours and 16 minutes.

“The match wasn’t at highest level in the opening set. We both held our serve until I managed to gain the break. After that I started to feel a bit of pain in my hip, which was tough for me. It wasn’t too bad and hope that it is not too serious but I lost my focus and lost the set,” Djere explained to Tennis TourTalk afterwards. The World No. 135 was a set and a break up but eventually had to go the distance. He gained the break in the third game of the final set.

“Before the third set I told myself that I am here in the semi-final and I managed to give my best in the decisive moments but it was a big fight until the end.”

Djere captured his first title of the season at the ITF Pro Circuit event in Opatija in April. Since then, the Serbian youngster has achieved some decent results reaching the semi-finals of the ATP 250 Hungarian Open in Budapest as well as the stage of the final eight at the Istanbul Open.

“Before lifting my first trohpy of the season, I was a bit embarrased because I didn’t play well in the first four months of the year. I was just fighting to stay inside the Top 200. Now things have changed and I played a couple of solid matches. Next goal will be to crack the Top 100. I will try my best to do so soon.”

Djere will appear in his third final at ATP Challenger level, looking to capture his maiden trophy. He finished runner-up in Cortina last year to Joao Souza as well as to Marco Cecchinato in Milan. In 2015, he lost the final at the ATP Challenger in Prostejov to Jiri Vesely.

“I achieved pretty good results in Italy in the past. I like the atmosphere here. Tonight I will just prepare myself for tomorrow, maybe watching some football on TV,” Djere said.

Fucsovics Edges Past Satral; Germans Triumph In Doubles

Djere will face Marton Fucsovics for the first time. The 25-year-old Hungarian rallied past Jan Satral, winning 6-7, 7-6, 6-1. Fucsovics saved eight of the nine break points he faced, converting four of his own to secure his first victory over the Czech in their third meeting. He closed the encounter in two hours and 30 minutes.

The World No. 148 eyes clinching his third ATP Challenger title on Sunday, following his triumphs in An-Ning and Andria in 2013.

Later in the evening, German tandem of Gero Kretschmer and Alexander Satschko took the doubles title with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Sekou Bangoura from the United States and Austrian Tristan-Samuel Weissborn. The final lasted one hour and 27 minutes.

Photo Gallery Saturday: