OVIEDO, August 26, 2025

Lorenzo Giustino of Italy made a winning start to his campaign at the XC Copa Real Club De Tenis Oviedo on Tuesday. The top seed of the ITF World Tennis Tour M25 clay-court event, one of Spain’s oldest international tennis tournaments, defeated Spaniard Jordi Garcia Mestre 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 46 minutes.

The match began comfortably for one of the main contenders for the title, as Giustino cruised through the first set. But Garcia Mestre fought back strongly in the second, forcing long rallies and making the favorite work harder for the win.

“I’m a bit tired,” admitted Giustino afterward. “I’ve played a lot of matches recently, and it’s not easy to start a new tournament after winning a title two weeks ago in Gijón and reaching the final last week in Santander. I started very well in the first set but then my level dropped a bit, which is normal. Physically I’m fine, no pain, but mentally the first match is always demanding. I just arrived yesterday, so it’s about getting back into rhythm.”

The Italian credited Garcia Mestre for raising his level: “He played a very strong second set, hitting very deep balls and not letting me take the initiative. I slowed down, stopped pressing on key points, my serve dropped — he even broke me twice.”

Despite the challenging start, Giustino left no doubt about his ambitions: “I expect to win this tournament. It would complete three great weeks. I missed out on the title last week, so hopefully I can finish this swing of three tournaments with the best result.” The 33-year-old, who recently became a father for the first time, also praised the venue as “beautiful club.”

Hola from Asturias and the 90th edition Copa Real Club de Tenis Oviedo – probably Spain’s longest-running international tennis tournament! #TravelTheTour #Oviedo pic.twitter.com/teuGCtZ7gq

— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) August 26, 2025

In an all-Spanish encounter, qualifier Noah Regas Luis continued his fine run of form by beating Miguel Avendano, son of former Spanish Davis Cup co-captain Juan Bautista Avendano, 6-2, 6-1 in exactly one hour of play.

“It looked easy from the result, but I had to think very carefully about how to play and stay solid for an hour and a half. Miguel is a very good player, and I had to deliver a high level to win like this,” said Regas Luis, who will next face fourth-seeded South Korean Gerard Campana Lee, a “very tough” opponent: “We know each other well since juniors, so I’ll have to prepare properly.”

Earlier in the day, Carlos Lopez Montagud opened his title bid with a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 win over fellow Spaniard Carles Cordoba. The No. 7 seed and champion of the Copa Real Club De Tenis Oviedo two years ago, secured victory in 63 minutes.

“I played a solid match against a player I know very well, as we practiced together before,” Lopez Montagud told Tennis TourTalk. “It’s a very traditional tournament here – the 90th edition. The people treat the players very well. When I won the tournament in 2023, I arrived here after an injury and without any confidence. So, it was a special win for me. A very nice week.”

TUESDAY RESULTS

First Round – Singles

Mikel Martínez (ESP) def. Benjamín Winter (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Tomás Currás (ESP) def. Álvaro Jiménez (ESP) 6-3, 6-3

Carlos López Montagud (ESP) def. Carles Córdoba (ESP) 6-3, 6-0

Miguel Damas (ESP) def. Gian Luca Tanner (SUI) 6-2, 7-6(3)

Alejandro Turriziani (ESP) def. Noah López (ESP) 6-4, 6-4

Ignacio Parisca (VEN) def. Manuel Lázaro (ESP) 6-2, 6-3

Javier Barranco (ESP) def. Pedro Rodenas (ESP) 6-4, 6-4

Álvaro Peiró (ESP) def. Richard Zusman (USA) 7-6(2), 6-4

Izan Almazán (ESP) def. Samuel de Felipe (ESP) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1)

Iván Marrero (ESP) def. Kuzey Cekirge (TUR), retired at 5-1 in the first set

First Round Doubles:

Pedro Vives (ESP) / Benjamín Winter (ESP) def. Tomás Currás (ESP) / Noah López (ESP) 6-2, 6-3

Alexander Bravo (USA) / Sergi Pérez (ESP) def. Maxence Duvignac (FRA) / Mikel Martínez (ESP) 6-2, 6-0