Andreas Seppi is far from having enough. © Andreas Seppi
On Tuesday, Andreas Seppi not only won one of his most beautiful victories in recent years against the Canadian shooting star Felix Auger-Aliassime, but also proved at the same time that he can play world-class tennis even at an advanced age.
02. June 2021
Moving: This adjective describes the South Tyrolean’s performance against the highly regarded Auger-Aliassime (ATP 21) best. Despite only one preparatory match on clay, the recurring physical problems and the class of his counterpart, Seppi was happy about his first ATP victory of the season after three and a half hours of play. The French Open should only serve as preparation for the next Grand Slam at Wimbledon. However, Seppi wouldn’t be Seppi if he didn’t play every match with the utmost commitment. The fantastic victory is the reward you deserve – and possibly not the end of the flagpole.
On paper, the task in the second round is much easier than the one at the beginning. With Soonwoo Kwon, the Kalterer meets the world number 91, who – although he is almost 24 years old – has only won two Grand Slam matches and has played 50 games at ATP level. In contrast, Seppi, who is playing his 63rd Grand Slam in a row, has 60 wins in majors and 785 matches in the premier tennis class. The 37-year-old played one of them against his next opponent, who defeated him in three sets in qualifying in Cincinnati in 2020. However, the South Korean is not that highly rated on sand, which is why on Thursday – if Seppi has recovered well from the exertions – an even game (at 11 a.m.) can be expected.
Sinner also plays
Regardless of how this will turn out, Seppi can already be proud of what he has achieved and confidently look forward to the next tasks on his preferred surface, the lawn. Everything that comes next is pure encore. Incidentally, not only the Kalterer but also Jannik Sinner will be on duty on Thursday. The Sextner is challenged by his compatriot Gianluca Mager at around 1 p.m.
Author: leo
