BERGAMO/STARNBERG, November 5, 2022
World No. 265 Otto Virtanen continued his fine run of form this week in Bergamo by reaching the final of the Trofeo Perrel – Faip ATP Challenger Tour hard-court tournament. The 21-year-old qualifier from Finland edged out second-seeded Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday.
Virtanen, who captured the Boys’ Doubles title in the Wimbledon Championships in 2018 alongside Yanki Erel of Turkey, hit seven aces and won 72 per cent of his first-service points to reach his first title match on the ATP Challenger Tour after one hour and 18 minutes.
Virtanen will next play Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. The 32-year-old Warstein native rallied past Jurij Rodionov from Austria 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Struff broke his rival’s serve four times and won 53 per cent of the total points played to seal victory in one hour and 57 minutes.
Through to the final in Bergamo 💪
🇩🇪 @Struffitennis fights back to defeat Rodionov 2-6, 6-4, 6-2!#ATPChallenger | 📸: Antonio Milesi pic.twitter.com/WgN44iW8Ch
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 5, 2022
Virtanen, a winner of three titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, is bidding for his maiden triumph at Challenger level. Struff could lift his seventh career trophy, his second of the season following his triumph on home soil at the Brawo Open in Braunschweig in July. The pair will meet for the first time.
Squire/Struff triumph in doubles
Henri Squire and Jan-Lennard Struff (photo: Antonio Milesi)
In other action, Henri Squire and Jan-Lennard Struff claimed the doubles title.
The all-German combination defeated Jonathan Eysseric and Albano Olivetti of France 6-4, 6-7(5), 10-7 in one hour and 28 minutes.
By winning their first team title, Squire and Struff split €2,670 in prize money and earned 80 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
