Zeppieri Earns First Challenger Trophy, Wins In Barletta

Giulio Zeppieri and Flavio Cobolli (photo: Disfida ATP Challenger)

BARLETTA/STARNBERG, August 30, 2021

Giulio Zeppieri is the champion of the €44,820 Open Citta Della Disfida Trofeo La Pulita & Service. In the first-ever all-Italian ATP Challenger Tour final between teenagers, the 19-year-old Rome native fought past Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 under the lights at the Circolo Tennis Hugo Simmen in Barletta, Italy on Sunday evening.

Zeppieri battled his way through the bottom half of the clay-court tournament, beating Timofey Skatov from Kazakhstan, his compatriots Andrea Arnaboldi and Julian Occleppo as well as No. 8 seed Chun-hsin Tseng of Chinese Taipei to reach the title match.

Zeppieri, a winner of one ITF World Tennis Tour title two years ago, converted five of his nine break-point chances to seal victory in one hour and 37 minutes.

By lifting his first trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour, the lefty pocketed on home soil €6,190 in prize money as well as 80 ATP Ranking points.

Bortolotti/Rodriguez take doubles title

On Saturday, Marco Bortolotti of Italy and Cristian Rodriguez from Colombia claimed the doubles title. The duo defeated the all-Dutch combination of Gijs Brouwer and Jesse Sels 6-2, 6-4. The final lasted 55 minutes.

By winning their first team title on the ATP Challenger Tour, Bortolotti and Rodriguez split €2,670 in prize money and collected 80 ATP Doubles Ranking points.