BERGAMO/STARNBERG, November 22, 2025
Francesco Maestrelli defeated Justin Engel, while Marko Topo stopped Stefano Travaglia with an impressive performance to reach the final of the Internazionali di Bergamo Trofeo FAIP-Perrel.
Saturday’s Italy–Germany duel ended 1–1, with the player from Pisa thrilling the Bergamo crowd by defeating the young phenomenon Justin Engel for the second time in just a few months, this time with a commanding 6–4 6–2, without even needing to dig deep ahead of the final. Engel is a strong prospect, but his development still has many steps ahead. The match was close until 4–4, then Engel gradually faded, leaving the way open for a rock-solid Maestrelli. He did not face a single break point and completely shut down Engel in the baseline rallies. Every one of the German’s accelerations came right back, and the 18-year-old from Nuremberg often ended up overhitting. The 6–2 score in the second set is almost flattering, as Maestrelli even had break points in the two service games Engel managed to hold. The German couldn’t find a Plan B once it was clear Plan A wasn’t working.
Maestrelli now reaches the final, repeating his achievement from twelve months ago, when he lost in Rovereto to Luca Nardi. He played a nervous final back then, even becoming emotional during the trophy ceremony. Today, he is a different player—more mature, more consistent, and highly competitive at this level. Several aspects stand out: an increasingly reliable serve, excellent physical conditioning, and a consistency that frustrates his opponents. This will be his eighth ATP Challenger Tour final, with three titles so far (Verona 2022, Francavilla al Mare, and Brașov 2025). This week, Maestrelli looks like the best version of himself – and he has every chance to secure Italy’s seventh title at the tournament. Italy is already by far the most successful nation, well ahead of France with three victories.
Topo powers into the final
After the final point, he fell to the ground, overjoyed at reaching his first Challenger final – right here in Bergamo. It was a great sporting moment, although a slightly disappointing one for the Italian crowd. Still, Marko Topo fully deserved his place in the final of the Trofeo FAIP–Perrel. The German won 6–3 6–4 against a determined Stefano Travaglia in a highly entertaining match in which the Italian may regret missing a couple of break points in the second set.
Topo deserves credit for a thunderous start and for playing his best in the key moments. “I was very nervous at the beginning,” the German said, “but my serve and forehand were working right away. Then I got a break in the fourth game, which allowed me to relax. The first set was really good. In the second, he was more aggressive and I became a bit passive, but I was solid when I needed to be.” Topo referred to the break point Travaglia had at 3–4. The Italian’s return clipped the net cord and dropped short, but Topo reacted brilliantly, moving forward and hitting a winning volley. Very popular with the Bergamo fans for his cheerful personality, Topo reaches his seventh career final overall – after winning all six he played at ITF World Tennis Tour level.
“It’s my last tournament of the year, of course I hope to win, but whatever happens, it has been a fantastic week. This tournament means a lot to me—we work every day for moments like this,” Topo said. His success is even sweeter because his coach, Timon Reichelt, was not present for the semifinal, having had to leave the day before for another commitment. “I’m even happier to win without him—it feels like an even bigger victory. But he’ll be back tomorrow and will be with me for the final.”
After match point, Topo stayed on court for a long time, signing autographs and posing for photos with the many fans—about 1,600 spectators created a wonderful atmosphere. “The arena is fantastic; it could easily host an ATP 250 or even a 500 event,” Topo added. “The crowd was cheering for Stefano, just like they supported Francesco Passaro in the quarterfinals, but they were extremely fair to both players. They just wanted to enjoy good tennis, and I appreciated that a lot.”
Reaching the final guarantees that Topo will climb to around world No. 240, very close to his career-high ranking of No. 236. A win could push him toward the top 200. Under last year’s rules, a title here would have earned him a spot in the Australian Open qualifying draw. “Unfortunately, it’s too late,” he said a few days ago. But if he keeps playing like this, he’ll be climbing much higher soon.
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