BERGAMO/STARNBERG, November 18, 2025
Stefano Travaglia launched the Italian charge in Bergamo in the best possible way. In the final match of Monday’s opening round, the 32-year-old from Ascoli Piceno claimed a hard-fought generational duel against Croatia’s Matej Dodig, fourteen years his junior. After more than two hours of intense battle, Travaglia secured his spot in the round of 16 at the Internazionali di Bergamo – Trofeo FAIP-Perrel with a 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(4) victory.
Despite the tight scoreline, Travaglia fully deserved the win thanks to the superior quality of his service games. Apart from a slow start (1–3 in the first set), he reeled off five straight games to take the opener. A brief dip in the second set allowed Dodig to break and force a decider, but Travaglia’s serve remained the more reliable weapon throughout. At 5–4 in the third, he held two consecutive match points—both missed with backhand returns, especially the second – but the match ultimately headed to a decisive tie-break.
There, somewhat unexpectedly, Travaglia took command with his backhand. A spectacular passing shot earned him a 5–2 lead, and a powerful down-the-line backhand after a long rally brought him to 6–3. He converted his second match point to book his place in the last 16, where he awaits the winner of the clash between Andrea Pellegrino and Slovakia’s Milos Karol.
Tactically disciplined from start to finish, Travaglia relied on a serve that provided plenty of free points and a clever use of his slice backhand, which repeatedly disrupted Dodig’s rhythm and drew errors from the young Croatian. Dodig, for his part, did not quite meet expectations. While his season remains strong, the 20-year-old from Osijek showed flashes only with his cross-court forehand, without producing enough to trouble the experienced Italian.
Travaglia, who began his season only in April, remains in full contention to finish the year inside the top 200—a goal well within reach if he continues to deliver performances like this. Next up, the ChorusLife Arena crowd will see him again as he pushes to close the season on a high.
INTERNATIONALS OF BERGAMO – Trofeo FAIP-Perrel (145,250€, indoor)
MONDAY RESULTS
First Round
Beibit Zhukayev (KAZ) def. Mika Brunold (SUI) 6–3 1–6 6–3
Stefano Travaglia (ITA) def. Matej Dodig (CRO) 6–3 3–6 7–6(4)
Marko Topo (GER) def. Ian Choinski (GBR) 7–6(3) 6–4
Qualifying Round
Alexander Donski (BUL) def. Federico Arnaboldi (ITA) 6–3 3–6 6–4
Michele Ribecai (ITA) def. Sergio Callejon Hernando (ESP) 7–5 7–6(5)
Buvaysar Gadamauri (BEL) def. Oleg Prihodko (UKR) 6–3 6–4
Andrea Guerrieri (ITA) def. Alexey Vatutin (RUS) 6–2 6–4
Hamish Stewart (GBR) def. Anton Matusevich (GBR) 3–6 6–3 7–5
Milos Karol (SVK) def. Niels Visker (NED) 6–7(9) 7–6(6) 7–6(4)
