ATP Challenger Milan: Cecchinato Advances and Is Feeling Confident: “I’m feeling good; it’s great to play with the young players”

The air in Milan seems to suit Marco Cecchinato well. The 33-year-old tennis player is doing great at the ATP Challenger currently underway at the Aspria Harbour Club in Milan. In the second round, the Palermo native defeated Raul Brancaccio in two sets: 6-2, 7-6 in a match that lasted one hour and 39 minutes.

After a first set in which Marco Cecchinato took full advantage of his opponent’s many errors, the second set turned into a real battle. Raul Brancaccio was serving at 5-4, but Marco Cecchinato broke his serve and even earned three match points at 6-5 in his favor. It wasn’t to be, however, and the set went to a tiebreak, where the 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist closed it out with a decisive 7-1 victory.

“I stayed focused the whole time; he made a lot of errors in the first set. Things got complicated in the second set, but I recovered well. It wasn’t easy—we’ve known each other for a long time, and Raul is a friend,” said Marco Cecchinato after the match.

At 33 years old, Marco Cecchinato, last year’s winner of the Milan tournament, is proving he’s still in top form: “Physically, I’m doing well. It’s great to test myself against so many young players who are 13 or 14 years my junior,” remarked the former world No. 16.