Davis Cup, Paolo Lorenzi gets off the hook: “Italy and Spain the favorites.”

Lorenzi points to Italy and Spain as favorites

Interviewed by Ubitennis editor Ubaldo Scanagatta, Paolo Lorenzi, former tennis player and future director of the ATP 250 in Florence, said, “I’ve been saying since the beginning that Italy and Spain are the strongest teams around. In the quarterfinals against the United States I think the problem will be more theirs than Italy’s.”

He then went on to comment on the entry list for the Florence tournament, with many Azzurri competing: “First of all I am very happy that there are so many Italian players, but also many strong foreign players like Auger-Aliassime, Monfils and Bublik. As the director of the tournament, I hope that a lot of kids will come, that the arena will be full and that people in Florence, where tennis has been missing for a long time now, can enjoy themselves. Then of course we all cheer for the Italian players and hope they do the best, but the important thing is that everyone can enjoy seeing tennis in Tuscany again.”

Finally, unfailing question about expectations regarding his new role as an ATP tournament director: “As a player I had always been quite calm before entering the court, so even now it is more or less the same. I know there may be some problems during the tournament, but eventually we will find ways to solve them. I hope to find a good balance between making the players feel good and also the people who come to watch the tournament. That is my goal and I hope that everything will go well.”