Argentine Contenders Advance in Bolivia
Francisco Comesaña and Juan Manuel La Serna advanced to the semifinals of the Challenger de Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, positioning themselves within reach of a potential all-Argentine title match on the clay courts, Infobae reported.
Comesaña Overcomes Early Set Deficit
Top seed Francisco Comesaña secured his spot in the final four by defeating fellow Argentine Genaro Olivieri 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. After dropping the opening set, the Mar del Plata native regrouped to claim the next two sets and seal the victory. Comesaña entered the tournament ranked 125th in the ATP rankings. In his earlier rounds, he eliminated the Dominican Republic’s Nick Hardt 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and dispatched Brazil’s Felipe Meligeni Alves 6-1, 6-4 using a protected ranking, according to Diario La Capital de Mar del Plata. That victory marked Comesaña’s first back-to-back circuit wins since reaching the quarterfinals at a Challenger in Milan, Italy, in late June.
La Serna Survives Three-Set Battle
Juan Manuel La Serna joined his countryman in the semifinals following a grueling three-set win over Uruguay’s Franco Roncadelli, closing out a 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4 decision. The 22-year-old from Catamarca, ranked 285th by the ATP, started his tournament run by defeating Hernán Casanova 6-3, 6-4, as detailed by El Ancasti. In the second round, La Serna advanced past Guido Justo when his compatriot retired due to a back injury after dropping the first set 6-1, as reported by DeporTV. El Esquiu noted that La Serna described the tournament as his first back on tour following national team commitments for the Davis Cup and South American Games.
Semifinal Matchups and Regional Stakes
In the semifinals of the 75-point clay-court tournament offering $107,000 in total prize money, Comesaña will face Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild. Seyboth Wild advanced by defeating Nicolás Kicker 6-1, 6-1. Meanwhile, La Serna faces a difficult test against Bolivia’s second-seeded Hugo Dellien, who defeated 17-year-old Brazilian Guto Miguel 6-2, 6-4. If both Comesaña and La Serna win their respective semifinal matches on Saturday, they will meet in an all-Argentine final.
Tough Exit for Trungelliti in Portugal
While the Argentine contingent advanced in South America, Marco Trungelliti bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Challenger de Maia in Portugal. The top-seeded Santiago del Estero native, ranked 90th globally, fell to Italy’s Francesco Passaro 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) after a match lasting two hours and 46 minutes.
Related reading
