Lima Challenger Final: Navone vs. Cecchinato Preview

Mariano Navonethe top seed of the tournament, secured his place in the final of the Challenger de Lima this Saturday. The tennis player, currently ranked 86th in the ATP ranking, defeated the Ecuadorian in the semifinals. Alvaro Guillén Meza (236°) with a marker 6-4 y 6-1. The match, played on the club’s brick dust The Incas In the Peruvian capital, it was resolved in one hour and 25 minutes of play. In the title match, scheduled for Sunday, he will face the experienced Italian player Marco Cecchinatowho surpassed the other semi, not before 3 p.m. Argentina.

The development of the match had two different phases. The first set was the most contested of the match, with both players trying to establish their rhythm from the back of the court. Guillén Meza, 22, sought to counteract Navone’s characteristic solidity on this surface. The score advanced with parity during the first stages, although with breaks of service distributed. The final came in the tenth game, when the player born on July 9 broke again – there were five breaks in the set – to make it 6-4..

The outcome of the first set seemed to influence the proceedings of the second. Navone capitalized on the momentum and showed why they are the tournament’s top seed, raising their level of consistency. The Argentine took absolute control of the game from the beginning of the set, minimizing his unforced errors and showing himself to be very effective in the key points.. He managed to break Guillén Meza’s serve on two consecutive occasions, establishing an irrecoverable difference. The Ecuadorian did not find answers to the solidity of Navonewho closed the set with a resounding 6-1 to seal their qualification to the final without major setbacks.

Mariano Navone’s path to the decider in Lima was dominant, validating his status as the top favorite. The Argentine did not give up a single set in the four games played during the week. His journey began on Tuesday in the first round, where he beat his compatriot Genaro Alberto Olivieri 6-3 and 6-1. In the second round, on Wednesday, he beat the Spaniard David Jorda Sanchis 6-4 and 6-0. In the quarterfinals, played on Friday, he faced another Argentine, Alex Barrena (eighth seed), whom he defeated by a clear 6-0 y 6-3before their victory in the semifinal this Saturday.

Navone’s rival in the final will be the Italian Marco Cecchinatoa 33-year-old player with vast experience on the ATP circuit. Cecchinato, currently 262nd in the ranking, had a much more arduous path to reach the final. In his semi-final match this Saturday, the Italian struggled for two hours and 31 minutes to defeat the sixth seed, the American Tristan Boyerin a very close match that ended with a score of 7-6 (7), 3-6 and 6-3. Cecchinato is a renowned clay court specialist, whose most notable result was reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros and 2018reaching 16th place in the world ranking in 2019.

For Mariano Navone, this final in Lima represents a relevant opportunity to score points and close the year in the best way.