Mallorca
Tabilo adds his fifth CF in an “incredible year”
The Chilean debuted with victory this Wednesday in Mallorca
June 26, 2024
Manuel Queimadelos/Mallorca Championships
Alejandro Tabilo won his first match in the main draw of the Mallorca Championships.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff
Alejandro Tabilo continues to fuel the best season of his career based on victories. And his most recent came this Wednesday at the Mallorca Championships presented by waterdrop, where he appeared in the quarterfinals.
The No. 4 seed defeated Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and nine minutes in his debut on the grass at this ATP 250.
“I’m happy,” he began his assessment after the meeting. “I knew it was a tough game, but I went in focused and solid. The important thing was that I served very well,” he added, after advancing to the quarterfinals of an ATP Tour tournament for the fifth time this season.
He also did it before in Auckland, where he lifted the first crown of his career; in Santiago, where he was a finalist; as well as in Bucharest (semi-final) and Rome (semi-final).
“Right now I feel much happier to be competing at this level,” continued his assessment of the No. 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who two years ago had already played the main draw on the courts of the Mallorca Country Club, after overcoming the previous phase.
His status as a tennis player has changed a lot. On his only visit until then, Tabilo was world No. 80. “It has been an incredible last year, I hope I can continue with this level and next year maintain consistency. But we’re trying to take it easy and take it game by game. Hopefully I can continue improving to finish the year as best as possible.”
It matters little to the Chilean whether the surface is clay, hard court (on which he won his first title) or grass. “I still feel very comfortable on faster surfaces. I was born in Canada and I always played on cement and indoors, so it suits me anyway. When I went to live in Chile I started playing on clay and I feel good too. Doing well here will allow me to focus on Wimbledon well.”
But what is the reason for the step forward he has taken at the age of 27? This is how the protagonist explains it: “The mental part has been fundamental. I have been able to cope better with long periods of games. I have also improved a lot in my serve and this is giving me a lot of advantage.”
In Mallorca he will try to continue adding victories against Jakub Mensik, who was able to come back from behind in a competitive duel against Fabio Fognini by 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 40 minutes.
Source: https://www.atptour.com/es/news/mallorca-2024-miercoles-segunda-ronda-tabilo-fognini-mensik
