1 Response to saopaulo15cuevas.vanni

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 28, 2016 at 3:15 pm

   Points won by each set: | 31-17, 19-29, 43-39 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   24 % Cuevas – 21 of 85
   30 % Vanni – 28 of 93

   Quite intriguing story: Vanni – the 29-year-old unknown two-metre Italian [149] – after ten years of drifting at lower levels of men’s tennis, finally played his first two ATP events in 2015 (Chennai, Quito). Then he went through qualies in San Paulo and enjoyed very lucky circumstances – his compatriot Fabio Fognini withdrew, Vanni took his place in the second round and won three matches against low ranked opponents (De Bakker – 142, Lajovic – 77, Souza – 110). So, the guy for whom reaching the second round of an ATP event had already been something big, not only found himself in the final – he almost claimed the title! He broke Cuevas in the 9th game of the final set and was serving at 5:4 (15/0) but his two main weapons (serve, forehand) deserted him. The Uruguayan [32] managed to come back taking the decisive tie-break quite easily, and the match after 2 hours 2 minutes. In the 1st set he didn’t drop a point on his serve winning it by a 14-point difference – in a ‘6-4’ set the biggest point difference equals 16. “We were both very nervous,” said Cuevas. “I think it was the first time I played a final as the favourite. I thought that I couldn’t lose when that happens, but the matches become more difficult. In front of me I had someone that was playing with a lot of confidence and with a great serve. I think we both failed at some moments: a double fault, a volley. There were many mistakes at the end and the winner was the one who fails less than the other.” The runner-up said: “I was in the chair before I served for the match and was thinking we are 1-all in the first set. I didn’t want to think we were at 5:4 and I was serving for the championship. I started with a good serve and then he played solid and didn’t miss a ball. He put every ball inside the court. I took some risks, which can be good sometimes and sometimes not. But I have to be satisfied after this week.” Cuevas defends his title in 2016, but the event moves from clay indoors (Ginásio do Ibirapuera) to clay outdoors (Esporte Clube Pinheiros).

   Cuevas’ route to his 3rd title:
   1 Jiri Vesely 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
   2 Facundo Bagnis 5-1 ret.
   Q Nicolas Almagro 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-2
   S Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 6-3
   W Luca Vanni 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4)

   # The first round and the final had very similar progress –
   in both matches Cuevas’ opponents were serving for the match at 5:4 (Vesely was 2 and Vanni 3 points away from victory)

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