 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 19 May 2009 |  Photographer: Corinne Dubreuil
Date: 28 Jan 2009 |
|
| 19 May 2009 | |
| Seeds Tumble on Day One of Trofeo Bonfiglio |
Day one at the 50th Tofeo Bonfiglio saw an unprecedented number of seeded players eliminated from the boys’ competition, as four of the World’s top twenty went crashing out at the first hurdle.
Seven out of the eleven seeds in action on day one were knocked out. With the first round only half completed the number of seeded players still in contention for the title has diminished severely.
Top seed Liang-Chi Huang (TPE) went out in three sets to Slovakia’s Jozef Kovalik. In direct contrast to last week’s tournament in Santa Croce - where Kovalik crashed out in the first round - the Slovakian produced a battling display to unnerve and eventually overcome the top seed. Kovalik drew first blood, taking the first set 62. His opponent, the current world number four, battled back to edge the second set in a tie-break, before Kovalik was able to regain the initiative and take the deciding set, 62 76(4) 64.
The shock departure of the top seed was followed by that another leading contender, Julen Uriguen. The Guatemalan third seed crashed out to unseeded Stanislav Poplavskyy (UKR) 63 46 75. Talented eighth seed Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) was defeated by Marin Draganja (CRO) 64 16 64. Tenth seed Alexandre De Greef (BEL) lost to Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN), in straight sets, as did eleventh seed Dominik Schulz (GER) who was defeated by Mikhail Biryukov (RUS) 61 75. Fourteenth seed Filip Horansky (SVK) was beaten by Guillerme Clezar (BRA) 75 63, whilst the final seed to fall on day one was fifteenth seed Francis Casey Alcantara (PHI).
Fifth seed Cheng Peng Hsieh (TPE) progressed in straight sets against Emilio Gomez (ECU) 76(5) 62. Sixth seed Agustin Velotti (ARG) also won in straight sets, defeating Alexandros Georgoudas (GER) 75 64. The in form Gianni Mina (FRA) also eased into the second round with a 62 75 win over Wild Card Alessandro Colella (ITA).
On the whole, day one saw more success for seeds in the girls’ event. Three of the four top seeds, Timea Babos (HUN), Silvia Njiric (CRO) and Alja Tomljanovic (CRO), wasted little time in advancing to the second round in Milan today, all enjoying comfortable wins over their opponents. In direct contrast, top seed Laura Robson (GBR) had to battle from one set down before running out a 26 64 61 victory over Denmark’s Malou Ejdesgaard.
Other seeds in the girls’ event were not so fortunate. Eighth seed Veronica Cepede Royg, went out in straight sets to wild card entrant Nastassja Burnett (ITA), while ninth Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) looked to be making a comeback levelling the match at one set all, but eventually fell to Italy’s Carolina Pillot 64 26 61.
Russia’s Yulia Putintseva, who dropped just one set en route to her victory at last week’s Grade 1 tournament in Santa Croce, saw her hopes dashed as she crashed out in straight sets to Sloane Stephens (USA).
Related Articles
> 50th Trofeo Bonfiglio Preview
^ Back to Top
|
