TURIN. Dominik Koepfer is the lucky loser who replaces the defection of Cristian Garin, b. 17 ATP suffering in the shoulder, but in the head-to-head with Lorenzo Sonego the German simply becomes the loser and the blue becomes the increasingly lucky player: he who, instead, being “fished out”, last year reached the final of the Viennese tournament by beating in the quarters even number one Novak Djokovic.
In less than an hour and a half of play, on the cement of the Austrian ATP 500 tournament, the Turin player got rid of the 27-year-old from Furtwangen, no. 62 ATP, for 6/4 6/3 in a match that was actually always conducted on a tightrope: «A dangerous match – Sonego’s final analysis – against a very quick opponent on the fast, with a fulminating backhand and a left-handed forehand. I served and responded very well, never a break point against, not even a double fault ».
76% of the first balls on the field, thanks to which he obtained 86% of the points won as well as 67% of those won also with the second: this is how the numbers of the match speak. Perhaps this time he finally managed to unravel the skein in his serve, beautiful yes but so fluctuating and so unquestionably necessary for his game: “We corrected the ball throw, the supports, simplified the movement”, explains the coach Arbino.
In today’s round of 16 he gets back to the test against the Norwegian Casper Ruud, n. 8 of the world, with which he lost on the clay of Rome in 2020 and on the cement of San Diego last month: “The kind of match that could tease Lorenzo and make him put all his resources on the field”. Including the idea of being able to face Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, who yesterday overwhelmed the giant Opelka 6/4 6/2. «The expiring points? There are 300, but I don’t think about it “, adds Sonego, even if a small account actually did it, and at worst losing in the first round of Paris Bercy scheduled for next week should still remain in the top 30.” Of course, having been one step away from the top twenty at the end of the season (no. 21 last October 4th) without being able to enter it leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth », admits Arbino.
Meanwhile in Courmayeur, on the fast indoor Sport Center, the WTA 250 women’s tournament continues but in the second round Giulia Gatto Monticone loses: 6/4 6/1 the score with which the Turin, n. 193 of the ranking, was beaten by the eighteen year old Canadian Clara Tauson, n. 49 of the world rankings.
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