SEVILLA/STARNBERG, September 10, 2022
A Spaniard will be crowned champion of the LIX Copa Sevilla as Bernabe Zapata Miralles and Roberto Carballes Baena will go head-to-head in Saturday’s singles final.
Second-seeded Zapata Miralles recorded his fourth consecutive win in straight sets in the stage of the last four on Friday by defeating Timofey Skatov from Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-1. The World No. 79 from Valencia saved all three break points and converted four of his own six break-point chances to advance in one hour and 13 minutes.
Carballes Baena, who finished runner-up to Pedro Martinez at last year’s edition in Andalusia, needed exactly the same match time to beat Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina earlier in the evening. The No. 3 seed from Tenerife won 65 per cent of the total points played to secure a 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Delicate touch from @Robertocarba93 😎
The 🇪🇸 gets past Diaz Acosta 6-1, 6-1 in Sevilla to reach his 4th #ATPChallenger final of the year!@CopaSevillaCh | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/H81ZFxwMRo
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 9, 2022
“I felt very well. The match was harder than the score reflects but I am very happy with my level of play,” said Carballes Baena.
“We had never played against each other. The first games were to see how he was going to play tactically and how I was going to play. When I have already seen where to attack, I have managed to play at a good level. I think that in the second set he got a little desperate and went for the net too quickly.”
Carballes Baena is seeking his 10th career title on the ATP Challenger Tour, his second of the season following his triumph in Tunis, Tunisia in May. Zapata Miralles could lift his fifth trophy, also his second of 2022 after winning in Meerbusch, Germany. The two Iberians will meet for the fifth time. Carballes Baena leads their head-to-head series 3-1.
The ATP Challenger Tour 90 event, which is held on the unique yellow clay at the Real Club de Tenis Betis, will see its 14th different singles champion of Spain. Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos, Tommy Robredo and Francisco Roig, coach of Rafael Nadal, are among the past winners.
Burruchaga/Diaz Acosta triumph in doubles
In other action, Roman Andres Burruchaga and Diaz Acosta claimed the doubles title. The unseeded Argentines fought past the all-Spanish combination of Nicolas Alvarez Varona and Alberto Barroso Campos 7-5, 6-7(8), 10-7 in one hour and 54 minutes.
By winning their first Challenger team title, Burruchaga and Diaz Acosta split €3,950 in prize money and collected 90 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
¡Emhorabuena a Facundo Díaz Acosta y Román Andrés Burruchaga, campeones en dobles de la Copa Sevilla 2022! 🇦🇷 #sevillachallenger pic.twitter.com/udVZQTBygG
— Copa Sevilla (@CopaSevillaCh) September 9, 2022
