SASSUOLO, June 17, 2025
The day after a storm swept through Sassuolo, the action resumed in full force at the Sassuolo Sporting Club as almost all 32 players took to the courts for the first round of the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup ATP Challenger 125 event, organized by Master Group Sport in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region.
All eyes were on Stan Wawrinka in Tuesday’s night session when the three-time Grand Slam champion faced Elias Ymer under the lights on a packed Center Court. However, for the second time in as many meetings between the two, the Swede emerged victorious. Ymer, who battled through the qualifying, capitalized on three of his eight break-point chances to secure a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory in two hours and 44 minutes.
Stands are packed for Stan! #ATPChallenger #Sassuolo pic.twitter.com/edoy7UIacc
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) June 17, 2025
Wawrinka, who competed competed in his fifth ATP Challenger Tour event of the season, suffered his second first-round loss in a row after falling to Radu Albot in Perugia last week. Ymer will next take on lucky loser Raul Brancaccio, who defeated fellow Italian Federico Arnaboldi 7-5, 6-4 in a hard-fought battle.
The day began with Spain’s Alejandro Moro Canas cruising past fifth seed Taro Daniel of Japan. After a competitive first set, which Moro Canas claimed 6-4, he completely dominated the second, delivering a 6-0 scoreline to send Daniel packing. The Spaniard now faces Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli in the second round.
Maestrelli, a 21-year-old from Tuscany, battled through nearly three hours of intense tennis to overcome Belgian Michael Geerts in a thrilling contest. Firing 17 aces and a resilient mental game, Maestrelli prevailed 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-1. “It was a very tough match against an opponent who found his rhythm right away,” said Maestrelli. “I adapted well, served really strong, and stayed mentally and physically sharp. Moro Canas is a tough player who plays with intensity and rhythm—it’s going to be a real battle.”
Local fans were treated to a special moment on Center Court when home favorite Federico Bondioli secured a crowd-pleasing three-set win over France’s Sascha Guymard Wayenburg, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 10 minutes.
A first highlight at the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup:
Local hero and WC entry Federico Bondioli delights his home crowd by reaching the second round following a 6-4 4-6 6-1 win over Guymard.#ATPChallenger #Sassuolo pic.twitter.com/wHyDgAeqMd
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) June 17, 2025
“I came out very energized in the first set,” said the left-hander from Ravenna, who is based at the Sassuolo Sporting Club. “I felt a bit of pressure in the second, but in the third, I was able to raise my level, helped by the incredible support from the crowd.”
Elsewhere, Giulio Zeppieri moved on with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win in an all-Italian clash against Stefano Napolitano. However, there was disappointment for other Italians: Stefano Travaglia fell 6-3, 6-3 to seventh seed Lukas Neumayer of Austria, while Marco Cecchinato was defeated in three sets by Spain’s Daniel Rincon, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
Mixed feelings for top-three seeds
In one of the day’s biggest upsets, second seed Vilius Gaubas was ousted by Mexico’s Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez, who stormed through the first set 6-0 before closing it out 7-5 in the second.
Top seed Carlos Taberner of Spain showed a solid performance after a bumpy start, dispatching Slovakia’s Jozef Kovalik 6-4, 6-0 in just over 90 minutes. “He started really well and had me struggling to find my rhythm,” admitted Taberner. “But at 4–1 down, I turned things around—maybe with a bit of luck on the break point. Tomorrow’s match against Bondioli will be another tough one. He’s young, very talented, and will have the crowd on his side. It should be fun.”
In other action, No. 3 seed Dusan Lajovic beat Dutch qualifier Ryan Nijboer 6-3, 6-2 and Francesco Passaro overcame Ukraine’s Oleg Prihodko 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Giovanni Fonio was eliminated by Spain’s Oriol Roca Batalla, 6-2, 6-2.
