BERGAMO/STARNBERG, November 20, 2025
Stefano Napolitano was the unexpected hero of the day. Few believed he had much of a chance against Otto Virtanen, the No. 3 seed at the Internazionali di Bergamo – Trofeo FAIP-Perrel. Instead, the Italian produced a thrilling, high-intensity performance in what has been the tournament’s best match so far, completing a stunning comeback to win 3–6, 7–6, 6–4. After the top two seeds were knocked out earlier in the week, Virtanen’s defeat marks the third consecutive upset at the top of the draw.
For much of the match, everything seemed to be going Virtanen’s way. The Finn, champion at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Northern Italy three years ago, led 6–3, 5–3 with his trademark light and aggressive tennis. But when serving for the match, he ran into Napolitano’s surge of pride and resilience. From that moment, the contest entered a different dimension, filled with blistering rallies and relentless pace.
After leveling at 5–5, Napolitano saved three break points from 0–40 in a crucial game that would have allowed Virtanen to serve again for the win. At 6–5, the Italian earned three consecutive set points of his own but couldn’t convert. Even in the tiebreak, Napolitano led 5–1 and later 6–3 before Virtanen roared back once more. Showing remarkable mental toughness, the Italian finally sealed the set on his seventh set point.
The third set maintained the same intensity. Napolitano continued to dictate with power, earning break points at 1–1, 2–2, and 3–3. Virtanen survived the first two tests, but the Italian’s pressure finally broke through at 3–3, securing the decisive advantage. He will now face Dutch lucky loser Niels Visker on Thursday. Visker, eliminated in the qualifying rounds, earned a spot in the main draw after a withdrawal and will also play doubles in the evening.
Ranked World No. 490 with a protected ranking, Napolitano showed glimpses of the level he reached a few years ago, when he played Matteo Berrettini for the Bergamo title. One match does not guarantee a long-term revival, but his confidence-boosting victory in Biella two months ago suggests that his “second career” might still hold promising chapters.
In the final match on Wednesday, Francesco Passaro secured his quarterfinal berth with a routine 6–2, 6–3 win over Lorenzo Sciahbasi. The Perugia native, coached in Bergamo by FITP technician Mosé Navarra, used his heavier ball to keep Sciahbasi on the defensive throughout. The match was largely one-sided: two breaks at 2–1 and 4–1 sealed the opening set, and although Sciahbasi fought harder in the second, his return game never threatened. A break at 4–3 opened the door for Passaro to close out the match. He will face Marko Topo on Friday in what promises to be a high-quality, hard-fought battle between two in-form players.
Results – Internazionali di Bergamo (145,250€, indoor)
Singles – First Round
Mark Lajal (EST) d. Alexey Vatutin (RUS) 5–7, 7–5, 6–3
Niels Visker (NED) d. Tom Gentzsch (GER) 7–6(3), 6–4
Stefano Napolitano (ITA) d. Otto Virtanen (FIN) 3–6, 7–6(6), 6–4
Singles – Second Round
Marko Topo (GER) d. Beibit Zhukayev (KAZ) 6–4, 7–6(4)
Stefano Travaglia (ITA) d. Milos Karol (SVK) 6–4, 7–5
Federico Arnaboldi (ITA) d. Nerman Fatic (BIH) 7–5, 4–6, 7–5
Francesco Passaro (ITA) d. Lorenzo Sciahbasi (ITA) 6–2, 6–3
Doubles – First Round
Michele Ribecai / Juan Cruz Martin Manzano (ITA/ITA) d. Adelchi Virgili / Augusto Virgili (ITA/ITA) 6–2, 6–4
Davis Poljak / Tim Ruehl (CZE/GER) d. Ivan Liutarevich / Giorgio Ricca (BLR/ITA) 6–4, 3–6, 10–6
Joshua Paris / Marcus Willis (GBR/GBR) d. Alexander Donski / Denys Molchanov (BUL/UKR) 7–6(4), 6–3
Francesco Maestrelli / Stefano Travaglia (ITA/ITA) d. Victor Cornea / Nino Serdarusic (ROU/CRO) 6–4, 7–5
Jarno Jans / Niels Visker (NED/NED) d. Milos Karol / Patrik Niklas-Salminen (SVK/FIN) 7–6(3), 4–6, 10–5
Jakob Schnaitter / Mark Wallner (GER/GER) d. Nerman Fatic / Stefan Latinovic (BIH/SRB) 7–6(3), 6–3
