Milan will remain in the heart of Facundo Diaz Acosta. By winning the ASPRIA Tennis Cup – BCS Trophy (€73,000, clay), the 22-year-old Argentinian collected the necessary points to reach the dream goal of anyone starting to play tennis: to enter the top-100, the holy grail of our sport. By beating Matteo Gigante with a double 6-3, he guaranteed himself the certainty of reaching around number 96 in the ATP. Seeded number 1 at the ASPRIA Harbor Club, the Argentinian confirmed the predictions and pocketed his third title of the season after Savannah and Oeiras. In the Milanese heat (the temperature never dropped below 30 degrees), neither of the two played his best tennis: Diaz Acosta for tension, Gigante for the tiredness accumulated over the last two days. The match was decided in the heart of the first set: at 3-3, Diaz Acosta played a bad service game, committing three double faults and conceding four break points to Gigante, unable to exploit them ( the Argentine was very good on the second, nullifying it with an effective serve and volley). At 4-3, the blue was 40-15 but was broken with a few mistakes too many. And again: called to serve at 5-3, Diaz Acosta committed two double faults in the first two points and had to come back from 15-40, succeeding thanks to greater solidity in the rally. In summary, from 3-3 to 6-3 Gigante had the ball in all games, but the Argentine always won. At that point fatigue emerged and the second set offered fewer ideas: too often the Roman got rid of the exchange with the short ball, but more out of necessity than out of actual conviction: the break already came in the third game (2-1 and service). The last chance for the blue came in the following game, when he got himself a chance to make it 2-2, but Diaz Acosta canceled it with a great first serve. A few minutes later, the Bonaerense could celebrate with his coach (Juan Manuel Tiscornia, one of his academy technicians) and then let himself go into a liberating scream.
DIAZ ACOSTA: “I HAVE A LOT TO IMPROVE”
“It was very hot, then it was a final and we were both nervous – says Diaz Acosta – this year I had played a few, so I was more used to it than him. However, I knew I was playing the ATP top 100 and the US Open main draw, so I was very tense. So I tried to focus on tactics, on how to play and not think about external factors”. In fact, in the first set, gaps were created in his tennis that hadn’t been seen in the previous rounds, starting with the large number of double faults. Gigante, however, was unable to take advantage of it. It was a left-handed final, so we ask Diaz Acosta if he had to think of some tactical tricks. “It actually depends on the individual players – he says – for example Matteo has an excellent backhand, so I had to avoid him shooting it with his feet inside the court, trying to keep him away from the line. At that point, I tried to be the one to dominate the exchange. I think that was the key”. As mentioned, with this success he will enter the ATP top-100 and will guarantee his first direct admission to the main draw of a Grand Slam, at the next US Open. “A really important milestone: anyone who starts playing tennis would like to become top-100 to make a living from this sport, which is incredibly difficult – he says with a touch of pride – now it’s my my task will be to maintain this level and take care of the things to improve, which are very many”. With his new ranking, he might even think about changing his schedule and including more ATP tournaments in his business than he does… “Tomorrow I’ll have a meeting with my coaches and we’ll see what to do. I’ll certainly stay in Europe next week, then we’ll see”. We will see him on the field in San Benedetto del Tronto, just like Gigante. And curiously both will debut against a Belgian: Kimmer Coppejans for the Argentine, Michael Geerts for the Roman, who narrowly missed the title on the 73rd birthday of his illustrious fellow citizen, Adriano Panatta.
SCHIAVONE SURPRISE
Speaking of Grand Slam champions, during the awards ceremony there was a welcome surprise: Francesca Schiavone attended by a film with the most exciting moments of her success at Roland Garros. Our Lady of the Grand Slam is the head of the “Schiavone Team Lab”, an interesting technical project based right at the ASPRIA Harbor Club: in her speech she complimented the club, “ Which is an inexhaustible source of initiatives and events. Well done”. And it was she, together with the BCS president Giuseppe Fumagalli, who rewarded a Diaz Acosta who was delighted to be able to take some photos together with a tennis legend. The 17th edition of a tournament that passed the exam of the date change with flying colors is therefore in the archives: playing in the first week of Wimbledon made it possible to strengthen the field of participation, with many players of absolute level and a participation-record of Italian tennis players. The icing on the cake of an Azzurri success was missing, but wonderful things were seen, above all from Matteo Gigante (whose level is well above the 211th position he will acquire with the points from the final) and Flavio Cobolli, the only one to remove a set from Diaz Acosta. Without forgetting that Luca Nardi who reached a matchpoint against Gigante in the quarterfinals. A great week of tennis in a great club, the pride of the city of Milan… and beyond.
ASPRIA TENNIS CUP – BCS TROPHY (€73,000, clay)
Singular Final
Facundo Diaz Acosta (ARG) b. Matteo Gigante (ITA) 6-3 6-3
ASPRIA Harbor Club
In 2009, the Harbor Club became part of the Aspria Collection which, with its clubs, spas and hotels, now serves over 35,000 members. Aspria is a prestigious and award-winning group that brings together the best private sports, wellness and family clubs, hotels and spa centers throughout Europe. The large “collection” extends between Brussels, Berlin, Hamburg and Hanover up to Milan; is characterized by a high quality offer, with personalized services to meet the needs of each member. Between 2001 and 2012 Aspria grew from one club (the opening of the Aspria club in Brussels dates back to June 2001) to eight (Aspria Uhlenhorst in Hamburg was inaugurated in March 2012), also incorporating the hotel offer in Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin and at Aspria Royal La Rasante in Brussels.
