Diego Forlán could not enjoy a victory in his debut as a professional tennis player this Wednesday at the Uruguay Open in Montevideo. The former Uruguayan soccer player, 45, and the Argentine Federico Coria, fell to the duo formed by the Bolivians Borja Arias and Federico Zeballos by 6-1 and 6-2 in 47 minutes of play.
The Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club in Montevideo, the place where Forlán usually trains tennis, filled its central court to see one of the great figures of Uruguayan sport in action in his conversion to tennis, where Forlán has already demonstrated his talent on the ITF circuit with a record of 8-3.
A Forlán who, despite being his debut, demonstrated his skill and talent especially on the net, leaving some beautifully crafted points with his shots, a great backhand with which he fooled his rivals and a great drop into the net that made the audience’s mouths water.
In the press conference after the game, Forlán analyzed his feelings in this first game as a professional.. “I am very grateful for having been able to play with Fede Coria, it is not easy for him to play with an amateur next to him. I would never have imagined or dreamed of this, it is nice to compete against professionals and you have to have courage to do it. The atmosphere on the court was spectacular with the support of my family and friends. It was a very special moment and I enjoyed it. “I felt like a little bit of a tennis player.”
A Forlán who also confessed that he will continue playing tennis although he does not know if he will play another match on the ATP Challenger circuit. “I don’t know if I will play any more games as a professional. I do know that I have options to play ITF tournaments in the +45 class like I was doing. “I want to continue on that circuit with the people of Lwan Tennis and my friends to continue traveling and enjoying.”
Hours after the adrenaline experienced on the court, Forlán posted this message on social networks about the match. “Debut in professional tennis at 45, not bad… Beautiful night, thank you all for the company and support.” A message with which Forlán expresses his desire to continue competing in tennis… and waiting for him to prove himself again as a professional on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Follow the Diario AS channel on WhatsApp, where you will find all the sport in a single space: the news of the day, the agenda with the latest news on the most important sporting events, the most outstanding images, the opinion of the best AS firms , reports, videos, and some humor from time to time.
