Alejandro Tabilo breaks another personal ceiling in Rome | ATP Tour

Roma

Tabilo breaks another personal ceiling in Rome

The Chilean reaches his first quarterfinal in an ATP Masters 1000

May 14, 2024

Alejandro Tabilo continues to make his way towards the top zone of the ATP Tour and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia is an ideal setting to ensure a good jump. The Chilean climbed this Tuesday for the first time in his career to the first quarterfinals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, demonstrating his growing ability to stand out on the big stages. With unapologetic tennis, the player from Santiago is already one of the eight best tennis players in the Foro Italico, a reality that underlines monumental growth in the 2024 season.

After signing the biggest victory of his life against No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the South American did not show an iota of conformity in Rome. Quite the opposite: he immersed himself in a party of full concentration to present his candidacy for the Eternal City.

The No. 32 in the PIF ATP Rankings resisted in one of the tightest matches of the week, keeping an eye on Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 7-6(10) in two hours and 23 minutes of duel. Tabilo accepted the harshness of his rival’s blows to control a match full of curves, where he overcame a break in the first set and saved two set points to make the second his own. A permanent coldness allowed him to resolve a frenetic clash by attacking the net, with a 22-point tiebreaker as the culmination.

“The feeling is incredible. We have worked very hard with the team. Being in my first Masters 1000 quarterfinal is something wonderful. “I feel fantastic!” acknowledged Tabilo, who needed five match points and a jump on the tape to seal his victory. the serve and the volley. I have started to use it more and that has helped me. In the last point I didn’t know whether to serve open or on the T, so I threw the ball to the body. Luckily, I was able to close the game there.

The South American showed special mental strength at the Campo Centrale. With the memory of the victory against six-time champion Djokovic still hot in his hands, Alejandro rolled up his sleeves again to defeat another player with a higher ranking on the clay of Rome. An effort that he made possible thanks to his team, as evidenced by the huge hug with his coach Guillermo Gómez at the end of the match.

“The victory against Djokovic two days ago was crazy,” Tabilo acknowledged with a satisfied smile. “The first day I tried to turn off the phone and be with my team, with the people close to me. I am happy for having known how to refresh my mind, go out on the court and show my tennis again.”

The victory served to equal (1-1) the Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Khachanov and extend a great moment of form on clay. After lifting the ATP Challenger Tour 175 in Aix-en-Provence last week, the Chilean has accumulated seven consecutive victories on the surface, a momentum that fills him with authority on the way to the final rounds in the Roman albero.

The horizon presents an open opportunity for Tabilo, ready to write a great story on the clay of Rome, as he will fight for a place in the semifinals of the Foro Italico against Zhizhen Zhang, who defeated the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 7-6(4) , 6-3.

The Chilean and the Chinese represent two profiles with no previous experience in the penultimate round of an ATP Masters 1000. In a completely equal sector, the South American maintains the hope of expanding his feat in the historic Italian tournament.

Tabilo continues to write a 2024 season of professional consolidation, where milestones multiply week after week. The Chilean, champion of his first ATP Tour title in Auckland and finalist in Santiago, has won 24 of the 33 matches played this season, maintaining competitive vigor until the European spring. An effort that allows him to virtually occupy No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

Did you know…?
Alejandro Tabilo has secured the best position of his career at the close of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Chilean will debut in the Top 30 of the PIF ATP Rankings next Monday, guaranteeing his seeded status on the clay of Roland Garros. At 26 years old, it will be the first time that the South American starts as a seed in a Grand Slam tournament.