Tennis helps us to update the proverbs: the grass of the Italians is always greener. After the success of Matteo Berrettini at Queen’s, local herbivores are in fact also becoming popular in Eastbourne, another traditional English pre-Wimbledon event. In the men Lorenzo Sonego won a place in the semifinals, who also won his first tournament on the green, in Antalya in 2019.
Number three on the scoreboard, Sonny beat in two sets (6-1 7-5) an always unpredictable and mangy opponent like Alexander Bublik, number 39 Atp. First set without history; in the second the Russian-Kazakh gave more battle, even performing in some ‘bottom-up’ serves, but Sonego checked with the high-level player’s class. “I’m very happy with my match,” said the Turinese, who had overtaken the Australian John Millman in his debut. «It is not easy to play against him because he has an incredible talent: he serves you from below, he surprises you in many ways. I like playing on grass, my serve works pretty well. And then I really like playing here in Eastbourne because there are so many Italians and cheering is important for me ».
Too bad for Andreas Seppi’s defeat in the third set (6-4 1-6 6-4), who in Easbourne won in 2011, against Australian Max Purcell, who entered the draw as a lucky loser. The blue derby then fades, and Purcell will face Sonego for a place in the final.
In women, Camila Giorgi, another Lawn Tennis graduate, won a good match, also winning the semifinal, as she won her first title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, in 2015.
Camila, now n.75 WTA and out of qualifying, beat world number 4 Aryna Sabalenka in three fluctuating sets (7-6 0-6 6-4). A heart attack up and down, full of scene reversals, from which the blue came out as a winner despite the bandage for a thigh problem. «It was a tough game but I think I played at a good level. I really needed a victory like this ». It is Camila’s first semifinal after that of Palermo 2020, which in Eastbourne this week made another illustrious victim, world number 10 Karolina Pliskova. Camila’s next opponent will be Estonian Anett Kontaveit, number 27 in the ranking.