A 'no' day for Italian tennis at the Australian Open, where Lorenzo Sonego and Giulio Zeppieri stopped in the second round and Martina Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto among the women.
Jasmine Paolini advances instead, happy to have won her first third round in a Slam, but Sonego's performance, opposite Carlos Alcaraz, also deserves applause despite the defeat: the Turin native gives away some spectacular points at the Rod Laver Arena: tweeners, millimeters lobs and volleys along the lines, so much so that he earned compliments from the Spaniard.
In the end the blue player lost to the world no.2 in three and a half hours with a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, leaving the court with his head held high.
"I had fun, when I leave the field with the awareness of having given everything I'm always happy - assures the Italian -. At the beginning we struggled to find the rhythm, there were few exchanges because the conditions were very fast, the the ball flew away and it was difficult to respond. Then we got more into the heart of the game, the level raised a lot and we played a great game. He is impressive: he attacks you in response and immediately puts you in difficulty. When he has time to put the weight well, his ball becomes very heavy and on the backhand side he anticipates a lot."
The journey in Melbourne reinforces Sonego's certainties for the future.
"I have shown that I am able to play at a very high level. These matches help me see where I can improve. I have a lot of margin, especially in my backhand return, and this is positive. If I play even matches now, as I grow I can always do better."
Zeppieri came close to achieving the feat against Cameron Norrie, forced to comeback from 0-2 and emerging victorious in the fifth set after a fight lasting over three and a half hours.
"I'm sad - explains the 22-year-old from Latina -, but when you give everything there can't be disappointment. He was better than me; in 3 out of 5 matches it's normal for someone of his caliber to raise the level. I've fallen a bit at the service".
Among the surprises of the day, the elimination of the number 8 seed, Holger Rune, at the hands of the Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, number 122 in the world in the draw thanks to a wild card.
However, Alex Zverev and Caspar Ruud advanced with difficulty and won only in the fifth.
Paolini's eyes shine for her first Slam third round, obtained by beating the German Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-3, in a match that was never in the balance: "Finally - she says -. It's an important goal. I'm very happy and also satisfied with how I managed the match because I knew it would be a possibility. I had clear ideas and there were few mistakes. Let's say everything went smoothly."
On Saturday Paolini will play for a place in the round of 16 with the Russian Anna Blinkova, who eliminated the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, n.3 in the ranking and finalist twelve months ago, with a record tie-break (22 to 20).
However, she was an unexpected defeat for the Florentine Trevisan, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by the French Oceane Dodin, n.95 in the ranking.
Instead, she lost in the third set to Cocciaretto in front of the American Emma Navarro (4-6, 6-3, 6-3).
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