OLBIA/STARNBERG, October 14, 2025
The opening round of the Olbia Challenger delivered a mix of expected results and surprises, with local wild card Carlo Alberto Caniato producing the standout moment of the day. On the Cloto Arena, the 19-year-old from Verona upset France’s Dan Added 7-5, 7-5 to book his place in the second round, where he will face Nerman Fatic. The Bosnian himself pulled off an upset earlier, defeating fifth seed Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 7-5.
Second seed Vit Kopriva advanced comfortably, beating lucky loser Enrico Dalla Valle 6-3, 6-4, while qualifier Norbert Gombos battled past Francesco Maestrelli 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4 in a match lasting more than two and a half hours.
Caniato’s Breakthrough on Home Soil
Caniato’s victory marked the first Italian win of the day and a special moment for the young talent. Born in Verona and raised in Ferrara, he moved to Forlì at 15 to pursue tennis more seriously. Reflecting on his straight-sets win, he said:
“It was a very tough match, and I want to congratulate my opponent. I’ve been going through a difficult period recently, but I made the most of my chances today and I’m really happy.”
Job done for
La wild card Carlo Alberto Caniato batte Dan Added (7-5 7-5) e si qualifica per il secondo turno ad Olbia #tennis #OlbiaChallenger #ATPChallenger #Olbia #Sardegna pic.twitter.com/7lVWHuFCws
— MEF tennis events (@meftennisevents) October 14, 2025
This season has been a breakthrough one for Caniato. After starting the year outside the Top 800, he lifted his first ITF World Tennis Tour title in Bacau, reached a career-high of No. 466, and made a splash at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a doubles wild card, upsetting Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
“It’s my first Challenger 125 on hard courts, and I’m happy with how I’m playing,” he added. “I grew up idolizing Rafael Nadal, and in recent years Jannik Sinner has been a big inspiration. It’s also nice to see so many players my age here — we’ve shared junior Slam experiences together, and I hope we all perform well.”
TUESDAY RESULTS
Singles – First Round
Daniil Glinka (Q) def. Clement Tabur (Q) 7-6(4), 6-3
Luka Pavlovic def. Alexis Galarneau 7-6(4), 6-3
Alex Molcan def. Marek Gengel (Alt.) 6-2, 6-4
Dusan Lajovic (7) def. Michele Ribecai (Q) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Nerman Fatic def. Roberto Carballes Baena (5) 6-2, 7-5
Carlo Alberto Caniato (WC) def. Dan Added 7-5, 7-5
Norbert Gombos (Q) def. Francesco Maestrelli 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-4
Arthur Gea (NG) def. Tom Paris (Q) 6-2, 6-0
Vit Kopriva (2) def. Enrico Dalla Valle (LL) 6-3, 6-4
