Luciano Carraro in the photo
Leonardo Borrelli uses up all his energy to win the first set against the expert Luciano Carraro, then gradually fades away. The indoor courts avoid delays, on Wednesday there is a match worthy of a Challenger: Mariano Kestelboim against Andrej Martin.
The dream lasted a set, and it was a good dream. Being so young and pure Bergamo, Leonardo Borrelli is perhaps the most loved player of the Città dei Mille Tennis Club, home of the AZIMUT Trophy ($15,000, clay). For this reason, a large audience flocked to the covered court to follow his match against the Italian-Argentine Luciano Carraro, a 26-year-old member of the Roman club Forum, but above all number 831 ATP. The prediction was closed, but instead the boy who started from Brembate, grew up in Osio Sopra and finished in Bergamo (under the care of the BAT Tennis Academy) played a great first set, after the emotion of a somewhat limping start (3- 0 for his opponent). With courage and quality, he dragged the first set to a tie-break and won it by eight points to six. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to maintain the pace and gradually faded away. The final score is very severe (6-7 6-0 6-0) but it is a bit ungenerous, especially because in the first games of the second he put up a fight. Opposed to a very regular opponent, he lost them and at that point tiredness set in, as well as the desire to preserve some energy for the third set. Nothing to be done: the train had already passed and the match smiled on Carraro, who in Italy is ranked 2.1 while the Bergamo player is still 2.3.
DELUXE EVENING WITH KESTELBOIM-MARTIN
The goal of bringing home the first ATP point in the home tournament has faded, but for Leonardo these are his very first experiences as a professional. His coaches Fabrizio Albani and Marcello Bassanelli will have drawn valid indications from a match that provided many ideas. The match was played indoors, because in the afternoon a violent downpour hit Bergamo. Once again, the organizers were ready in an instant and the program was moved indoors, avoiding any delay. On a competitive level, we note the withdrawal of Luca Potenza (who was seeded eighth). Very rich program for Wednesday, in particular for the evening match (not before 8pm), between Mariano Kestelboim and Andrej Martin. A mocking draw, in fact, pitted the number 2 in the draw (and reigning finalist) against each other against the former ATP top-100 player. In the first round of an ITF, therefore, a match will be played that would not look out of place on the Challenger circuit. The match will be preceded by the eagerly awaited Garbero-Minighini, a match between qualifiers, in which the 15-year-old Garbero will be called upon to confirm the excellent things he has shown in recent days. As for the home players, Filiberto Fumagalli has a difficult task against the Argentine Otegui. The program will start at 9.30 with the debut of the number 1 on the scoreboard, the Roman Gabriele Pennaforti.
