Miguel Avendaño gave the bell against Feliciano López from Toledo in the rooms of the Luanco Beach Tennis. The son of Juan Avendaño from Luanquín won 6-3 and 7-6 (8-6) in one hour and twenty-four minutes in a match in which he had to come from behind in both sets. It will be the first time in many years that an Avendaño plays a semifinal of the tournament.
Despite taking the lead with an early break in the first game of the match, Feliciano lost his serve in the sixth and eighth games to end up succumbing 6-3 in a first set in which he was hesitant with his serve, even reaching to incur a double fault.
In the second set, Feliciano started in the same way, with a break in his favour, but Avendaño immediately overcame the bad start and the second and ultimately decisive set went to a tie-break. Avendaño knew how to assert his physical vigor against the veteran Feliciano to take the score 8-6 and fasten the victory in what was Feliciano’s last game on the La Ribera arena, a tournament history to which he was given a farewell up to the task, with a video tribute from the organization and a warm applause, by way of recognition, from the respectable Luanquín. It was Feliciano’s sixth participation in the tournament. The first dates back to 1999. He won in 2007 in the final against Félix Mantilla.
Gasquet enters the scene. Avendaño’s rival in the semifinals is one of the great attractions of this edition of Luanco Beach Tennis, Richard Gasquet, who in 2007 reached his best position in the ATP ranking, the 7th Bronze Medal in doubles at the Olympic Games in London 2012 and Davis Cup champion in 201, Gasquet has won no less than 16 ATP singles titles and two in doubles. This year he was champion in Auckland (New Zealand) and this will be his first participation in Beach Tennis. In June he turned 37 and belongs to the generation of 86, that of Rafa Nadal.
“I know some things about Luanco Beach Tennis. I really want to experience the sensations of playing on the sand, I am very curious and I will do everything possible to adapt and win,” said the Frenchman. Despite his seniority, Gasquet still wants to continue in the gap. “I can still enjoy tennis, at the beginning of the year I won a tournament, I am in the top 50, in shape and I enjoy the circuit,” settled the tennis player, who today will have to overcome the youth and thirst for triumph of Miguel Avendaño.
Butvilas, in the other semi. In the second game of the day, the victory went to the Lithuanian Edas Butvilas, who was cheered on from the La Ribera stands with their country’s flags. He prevailed over Garrett Johns after losing the first set 4-6, winning the second 7-5 and taking the supertiebreak 10-6. Butvilas will face the Spanish Bernabé Zapata.
2023-07-31 02:15:00
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