Federico Coria played a great game and pushed the number 8 in the world to the limit, but the victory did not escape him at all

Federico Coria He was very close to getting the best win of his career. For the second round of Bastad ATP 250on clay, the Argentine played a great match against ATP number 8, Andrey Rublev, but ended up losing just 7-5, 4-6 and 7-6 (2) in just over two hours of game.

Painful defeat for Faith, as close as he came to victory, despite the bitter feeling of having failed at the tiebreak, but no doubt, as the days go by, it will be seen as a great step forward in his career, after fighting at the equal with one of the best players on the circuit.

So, 13 places will fall in the standings, from 65th to 78th, after losing 130 finalist points last year (lost to Casper Ruud in two sets). The Russian, for his part, has returned to compete officially after a month of absence from the fields, due to the disqualification of Wimbledon for the tennis players of his country which led him to miss most of the tour on the grass. His rival in the quarter-finals will be Serbian Laslo Djere, who defeated Swiss Marc Andrea Huesler 7-5, 6-2.

The Argentines in Bastad

After an auspicious debut against the Italian Fabio Fognini, Sebastián Báez has a complex second round against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokinathis year’s finalist of the Masters 1000 in Montecarlo.

In turn, this Friday will be the turn of Diego Schwartzmann, Preclassified third in the Swedish competition, with a surface specialist like Pablo Carreño Busta, whom he knows very well. They met four times, with three wins for the Spaniard, including the last ATP 500 in Barcelona, ​​and one for Peque (Vienna 2017, on hardcourt).

will also play Francesco Cerundolo, after hitting the ground running and leaving Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud on the road. He will face Aslan Karatsev, looking for his third semifinal in 2022. he Reached that instance in Rio de Janeiro (d. Schwartzman) and Miami (d. Ruud).

There could be an Argentine semi-final, in case Peque and Fran win their respective commitments, and if this happens, the presence of an albiceleste tennis player will be ensured in the grand finale on Sunday. A well-known story.

It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, since ATP Bastad has a long list of Argentine finalists. Carlos Berlocq (2013) and Mariano Zabaleta (2003 and 2004) were champions, while Gastón Gaudio starred in the only 100% Argentine definition in that 2004 and Fede Coria (2021), Juan Ignacio Lóndero (2019), Juan Mónaco ( 2009) and Alberto Mancini (1991).

In double, also, the consecrations of Cristian Miniussi (1992), Horacio Zeballos (2018) and Gisela Dulko (2009 and 2010).