Davis Cup: Lorenzo Sonego beaten, Italy gets off to a bad start with Canada

Davis Cup: Lorenzo Sonego beaten, Italy starts badly with Canada

At the Unipol Arena in Bologna, in the first singles match of the Davis Cup match between Italy and Canada valid for the qualifying round for the finals in Malaga, Lorenzo Sonego, world number 38, è was surprisingly beaten by Canadian Alexis Galarneau, number 200, with a score of 7-6 6-4.

The first game lasted 14 points and Sonego wasted four break points, the first three of which were consecutive. In the seventh game Galarneau è again 0-40 on his own serve and this time Lorenzo manages to break on the first shot, but when he is serving for the first set at 5-4 he in turn loses the serve.

It goes to the tie-break, in which Sonego from 3-5 to 6-5 prrocures a set point by missing it, and then misses another one on 8-7, also Galarneau does not convert one on 7-6 but the one the North American has on 9-8 è the good one becauseé Lorenzo buries a forehand in the net.

At 2-2 in the second set Sonego annihilates two break points with a winning forehand, a third one Galarneau wastes but on the fourth the Canadian snatches the serve from the Turinese with a rather lucky point. Sonego at this point gets a medical timeout for a calf problem.

The 28-year-old from Turin has to cancel two 2-5 balls and a match point on -5 on his own serve but Galarneau, who did not allow him anything at all, closes the file in the next game with a forehand winner after two hours and 22 minutes of play.

Sonego, physical problems or not, confirms himself thusì in Davis Cup enormously in difficulty when he has to face opponents of much lower ranking, while he plays much better against stronger opponents.