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Planes, trains, and vehicles are a weekly theme for ATP Challenger Tour gamers as they work onerous for factors, prize cash, and trophies. The journey schedule might be gruelling at instances, however the gamers keep decided as they persevere in direction of an identical aim: changing into the following skilled tennis star.
Finland’s Otto Virtanen not too long ago had an intensive journey that noticed him accumulate two Challenger titles and win 10 matches in 11 days (singles & doubles). After profitable the Brest Challenger doubles title (w/ Viktor Durasovic) in October, the 21-year-old rapidly departed for the Bergamo Challenger, the place he superior by qualifying en path to accumulating his maiden Challenger singles crown.
“I flew after my doubles [in Brest] to Paris, from Paris to Milan, then Milan to Bergamo by automotive,” Virtanen mentioned. “I had a really late first match and I performed rather well. I simply went day-by-day and stored taking part in nicely. Daily I stored gaining confidence and within the [Bergamo] last I simply tried to concentrate on what I used to be doing nicely and tried to deal with it as a traditional match. It was my first last and I feel I dealt with it nicely.”
Now at career-high No. 174 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Virtanen is amongst a powerful listing of champions in Bergamo together with the earlier three titlists: Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Matteo Berrettini.
Otto Virtanen is topped champion in Bergamo, Italy. Credit score: Antonio Milesi
Virtanen, who began the 12 months as No. 395, made his preliminary Challenger breakthrough this summer season as a semi-finalist on the Surbiton and Liberec Challengers. The Challenger 90 occasion in France was his first Challenger last and the Finn didn’t flinch. Virtanen didn’t drop a set all week en path to the title and maintained his excessive stage within the championship match towards former World No. 29 Jan-Lennard Struff.
“I didn’t change something [about my game plan], I simply performed strong, possibly slightly safer,” Virtanen mentioned. “I used to be placing extra balls in and taking part in high-percentage tennis. Then when it was an excellent time, I performed extra aggressively. I discovered an excellent steadiness to my recreation.”
The Hyvinkää native is simply the second participant from Finland to win a Challenger title up to now 10 years and the primary since Emil Ruusuvuori in 2019.
Ruusuvuori, 23, is a four-time Challenger titlist. On the 2019 Helsinki Challenger, Ruusuvuori was topped champion on residence soil and defeated Virtanen within the spherical of 16. This season, Ruusuvuori reached his first Tour-level last in Pune and climbed to a career-high 40. Ruusuvuori and Virtanen have fond recollections of rising up collectively and are actually carrying the torch for tennis of their residence nation because the highest-ranked Finns.
“I’ve identified Emil since I used to be a child,” Virtanen mentioned. “We performed the identical tournaments. He’s two years older than me so we had been in several age teams however identical tournaments in Finland. We practised on the identical membership. We spend a while collectively off courtroom as nicely however we each are busy travelling for tennis, so it’s powerful to search out the time once we are each in Helsinki. After we each are residence, we practise collectively. It’s good to catch up and see what he’s doing nicely, take one thing from him.”
After a second-round exit at his residence Challenger this previous week in Helsinki, Virtanen closes his season with a 23-14 Challenger-match report. The #NextGenATP teenager has been constructing upon the teachings he’s discovered since graduating from the ITF Futures occasions and now shifts his consideration in direction of offseason coaching earlier than aiming for a good stronger exhibiting in 2023.
“It was a rollercoaster [season],” Virtanen mentioned. “I’m proud of this 12 months, the place I began and what I’ve achieved. I’m fairly proud of the outcomes.
“It’s all the time a pleasure to be at residence. Final event of the 12 months, it’s good to complete right here [Helsinki] regardless that the outcomes this week weren’t that good. However I’m blissful to complete the 12 months and now I can concentrate on subsequent season. I’m actually excited.”
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from Tennis – ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/rgzZCST
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