Australian Open qualifiers: as many as 9 Azzurri in the second round

9 Azzurri in the second round of Australian Open qualifiers

As many as 9 Azzurri made it through the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open, the first Slam of the season. After the victories of Matteo Arnaldi, Luciano Darderi and Gianluca Mager on Monday, six more Italian men and women tennis players have hit the second round in the qualifying draw.

Francesco Passaro overcame Czech rival Lukas Rosol in three sets (6-3 3-6 6-3) as did Andrea Pellegrino who got the better of Frenchman Manuel Guinard only at the tie-break of the third set (7-6 5-7 7-6). Much easier victories instead for Giulio Zeppieri, Mattia Bellucci and Raul Brancaccio who defeated in two sets Santiago Rodriguez Taverna (6-4 6-3), Wu Tung-Lin (6-3 6-4) and Franco Agamenone (6-4 6-1) respectively. Among the losers, the one who has the most regrets is definitely Roberto Marcora who had to surrender to Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas only in the tie-break of the deciding set (6-3 3-6 6-7).

In the women’s field, Sara Errani from Romagna exited the scene, defeated in two sets by South Korean Su Jeong Jang (6-7 4-6), while Lucrezia Stefanini detached her pass for the second round, beating Russian Anastasia Zakharova in two sets (6-3 7-5).