Masters 1000 Toronto: Mattia Bellucci withdraws against Hugo Gaston

Mattia Bellucci lasts two sets in the first round of the Toronto Masters 1000. L’Azzurro, world number 72, was forced to retire due to cramping early in the third set against Hugo Gaston, number 126 in the ATP rankings, who was ahead 3-6 6-4 2-0 at the time.

Bellucci actually got off to a strong start finding himself up 4-0 in no time. Gaston manages to recover one of the two breaks of disadvantage (2-4) but surrenders the serve again in the ninth game: the Lombardy player thus makes the first partial his own 6-3.

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In the second set it is the Frenchman who immediately goes ahead by a break, taking away Bellucci’s serve in the third game (2-1). L’Azzurro, however, soon reacted and tied at 3-3. A new stretch by Gaston, however, was lethal: the transalpine won the last three games of the partial and evened the score (6-4).

At the beginning of the third set Bellucci suffers a bout of cramps and gives up the serve in the opening game. Gaston confirmed the break (2-0) and at that point the 23-year-old from Busto Arsizio decided to raise the white flag.