Italy’s present is always greener: after Matteo Berrettini’s historic victory at Queen’s, Lorenzo Sonego’s final arrives at the ATP 250 in Eastbourne, another traditional round of approaching the Wimbledon “Championships” which start next Monday. Sonny, in a semifinal delayed for three hours by the rain, beat in three sets (6-1 3-6 6-1) and one hour and 38 minutes the surprising Australian Max Purcell, world number 283 who gives lucky loser – that is, rescued from qualifying – he managed to make his way onto the scoreboard overtaking Andreas Seppi in the quarterfinals. Purcell, known above all for his skills as a doubler (finalist at the Australian Open 2020 paired with the other kangaroo Saville), after a first one-way set in the second managed to surprise Lorenzo, snatching the first set of the tournament. In the third, however, Sonego has already placed the break at the opening and has no longer been caught in the wake.
For the Turin player it is the second final of this 2021 after the victorious one on the land of Cagliari. On the grass, among other things, Sonego won the first pro title of his career, in 2019 in Antalya. «It was a very close match, Purcell is a great fighter and a dangerous opponent. In the second set he attacked practically every ball and it was complicated, in the third I found my tennis again, managing to be more aggressive and I took home the match. There are also several Italians here and cheering is important for me, then I like playing on grass, especially when my serve works ». In the final of the «Viking International» Sonego will find the winner of the match between the Korean Kwon and the other Australian Alex De Minaur.