ROSETO DEGLI ABRUZZI/STARNBERG, March 15, 2022
Croatian alternate Nino Serdarusic headlined Tuesday’s first-round action at the Regione Abruzzo Aterno Gas & Power Cup II by knocking out World No. 74 Jiri Vesely from the Czech Republic, top seed of the €45,730 ATP Challenger Tour clay-court tournament.
The World No. 219 from Zagreb struck five aces and won 90 per cent of his first-service points to secure a 6-2, 6-2 victory in one hour and 18 minutes.
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“Today it was pretty difficult for Jiri, as he played his first match on clay this season. I played very well. I am happy,” said Serdarusic. The 25-year-old will next take on 19-year-old local wild card entry Flavio Cobolli.
In the bottom half of the draw, Andrea Pellegrino upset second favourite and fellow Italian Gianluca Mager, winning 6-4, 6-3. The 24-year-old Bisceglie native withstood nine aces and broke his rival’s serve two times to advance after one hour and 15 minutes. Up next for Pellegrino will be his compatriot Alessandro Giannessi, who fought past Spanish lucky loser Nicolas Alvarez Varona 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 in two hours and three minutes.
Last week’s champion Carlos Taberner remains unbeaten in Roseto. The No. 3 seed from Spain defeated Italian wild card entry Giulio Zeppieri 6-4, 6-2 to book his spot in the second round. Taberner won 58 per cent of the total points played to prevail after one hour and 22 minutes. The World No. 105 will next oppose Spanish qualifier Carlos Gimeno Valora, who edged past Belgian Kimmer Coppejans 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-5. The encounter lasted almost three hours.
